Squad Analysis IPL 2018: Batting heavy Kings XI Punjab lack keeper, captain

Kings XI Punjab will look to make the most out of the experienced side they have assembled and arrest the slide of being inconsistent over the years. With the name of the skipper yet to be announced, it will be interesting to see who gets the nod given there will be testing times ahead.

KXIP have built their side around a lot of experience especially in the batting and that makes them a dangerous entity. The franchise retained only Axar Patel before going back to the auction and buying David Miller, Marcus Stoinis and Mohit Sharma via the Right To Match (RTM) card.

The side then went to gain some solid experience in the line-up by getting veterans, Chris Gayle and Yuvraj Singh. Ravi Ashwin too was snapped up alongside Australian limited-overs specialist Andrew Tye. They also broke the banks for India‘s KL Rahul, who has been in good form in the shortest format of late for the national team.

The purchase of Australian opener Aaron Finch was another headline buy of the auction. Surprisingly they did away with Hashim Amla, who was a star performer for them atop in the 2017 edition. Also, the side hasn’t gone for a specialist wicketkeeper.

KXIP have the ingredients to spice up the 2018 IPL and here is the analysis of the team.

Batsmen:

The KXIP are spoilt for choices in the batting with a plethora of stars in the squad. Universal Boss Gayle will most likely get the nod to open the innings. The stellar West Indian enjoyed a lot of success with the Royal Challengers Bangalore unit over the years and KXIP needs him to fire all guns blazing. He is definitely the player to watch out for and is a bargain buy despite not being as threatening as he was.

Gayle in IPL: Matches 101, Runs 3626, Best 175, Average 41.2, S/R 151.21

Finch is a perfect option alongside Gayle atop and together the duo can dismantle any bowling line-up on a given day. But only one of these two will find a place in the starting XI. Finch has been in good touch for the Aussies and he will look to carry on the momentum. KL Rahul is another vital fit at the top order and will most likely keep wickets. Yuvraj Singh is making a comeback to KXIP and will be hoping to make a difference in the middle order.

Proteas star David Miller is another experienced star and his presence also lifts up the side. With Karun Nair, Mayank Agarwal and Manoj Tiwary in the squad, the side does look well armoured. Consistency will be the key for KXIP’s batsmen to get big runs and help their side hold control in the game.

All-Rounders:

Marcus Stoinis leads the all-rounders’ list for KXIP and will be their go-to man. The Aussie star will walk into the side and look to build his reputation as a match-winner. Stoinis was delightful to watch for his national side in the limited-overs series against England and will need to maintain the same touch.

Axar Patel is a vital cog in this team. He has been a part of the Indian limited-overs team and shown that he belongs at the highest level. Patel also has the ability to play the cameos down the order and chip in a few wickets every time he has the ball in hand. Yuvraj could also get a look in case the team needs some part-time spin.

Bowlers:

Andrew Tye is a brilliant addition to the side. Since his expedition in the last IPL, Tye has just improved. After a wonderful Big Bash League (BBL) he was drafted in the Australian T20I side and has done really well in the ongoing T20I Tri-nation series.

Tye will need to guide the Indian bowlers this year with some valuable inputs. Mohit Sharma has been a dependable bowler in the IPL over the years and with Barinder Sran and Ankit Rajpoot in the attack, the pace unit looks inexperienced and also lacks the gloss.

In the spin department, KXIP have got two serious names in Ashwin and Axar. Although the former hasn’t been in the reckoning for India’s limited overs team for the last one year or so, he is still a valuable cog. Axar has been limited to the bench in the Indian team of late but has the craft needed to shine in the format.

Mujeeb Zadran, the Afghan prodigy, is another option in the spin section and the unit looks potent in this department.

Threats and Challenges:

KXIP lack a genuine wicketkeeper in the side. Therefore Rahul’s impact is crucial with little known Akshdeep Nath the back-up. Also the pace bowling unit lacks the fire-power to deliver consistently.

Kings XI Punjab squad:

For IPL 2018 updates follow https://crictracker.com