IPL 2018: MI vs KXIP, Match 50 - Kings XI Punjab Predicted XI

It’s really a pity to see Kings XI Punjab in such a catastrophic situation as they managed to win just one game in their last five matches. This might as well cost them a place in the playoffs, something no one imagined would happen. Looking at the way they started, no one would’ve thought they would complicate the situation so much, but it all looks quite gloomy for them right now.

Nevertheless, their ray of sunshine this season has been KL Rahul, who has been brilliant with the bat. But unfortunately, KXIP have been over-reliant on him to get the runs. That was clearly palpable when they took on the Royal Challengers the other day when they were folded out for just 88 runs.

They face a stern task against the Mumbai Indians, who are also in a precarious situation as they aim to qualify for the playoffs. A defeat for MI will definitely put their tournament to bed whilst a win in the next two games will not confirm their berth in the top 4 as well. Here’s the predicted XI of the Kings for this high-voltage encounter.

Openers (KL Rahul (wk), Chris Gayle)

The legend of T20 cricket, Chris Gayle started off this tournament in a grandstand fashion but has failed to replicate his heroics ever since. Gayle has always been a bit unpredictable but his poor run cost his side an awful lot in the previous two weeks. They will trust him for the remaining two games as chopping and changing at this stage is not suggestable.

Their main man this season, Rahul has been in the form of his life thus far in the IPL. He needs to fire in the remaining two games for his side to confirm their qualification. The Punjabi unit cannot afford to slip right now as their net run rate too is not great after that loss to RCB.

Middle Order (Karun Nair, Yuvraj Singh, Aaron Finch)

Karun Nair is another cricketer who started the tournament with a couple of half-centuries in the first two games. But as the tournament progressed, his form dipped very badly. Aaron Finch has had a forgettable outings thus far but for a player of his caliber, the management would be banking on him in this precarious situation.

They tried some options like Yuvraj Singh, Mayank Agarwal, Manoj Tiwary etc. to fill in the remaining slot in the middle order, but that didn’t work well. Hence, they might go back to the experienced Yuvraj Singh for this big game.

All-rounders (Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, R Ashwin)

Marcus Stoinis is a dependable all-rounder in the shortest format, but this season hasn’t fared well for him. Neither with the bat nor the ball he has been very productive. But he can be a good finisher down the order and can provide some crucial overs for the captain.

Axar Patel’s miserable season is still continuing, but one thing that won’t change is the faith that the management has on him. Skipper Ravichandran Ashwin will be facing the toughest test of his career as a captain as losing out on a qualification spot from here would be absolutely disastrous for him.

Bowlers (Ankit Rajpoot, Andrew Tye, Mohit Sharma)

Ankit Rajpoot can consider this season to be his best in the IPL. With his raw pace and incredible control, he managed to scalp some big wickets and his five-fer against Sunrisers Hyderabad was a testament to his skill. His senior companion Mohit Sharma might be accompanying in the fast bowling department.

Andrew Tye is currently the purple cap holder and the veteran fast bowler has been outstanding this season. After a poor start, he upped the ante with some sensational knuckles balls and other variations. It’ll be an understatement to say he’s going to be pivotal for their chances to qualify.