IPL 2020, Kings XI Punjab preview: Squad, fixtures, strengths, weaknesses and more

It seems change is the only constant for Kings XI Punjab. After another season of off-field tweaks to the playing squad as well as support staff, however, it seems the Mohali-based franchise might have got things in order ahead of the 13th edition of Indian Premier League.

KXIP, an ever-present team in the IPL, have been perennial underachievers. Even if not winning a title is understandable given the strength of other teams, a record of reaching playoffs twice in 12 seasons is poor by any measure. The franchise has not made it to the post-season even once since their runner-up finish in 2014 but they had come close in the last couple of seasons under R Ashwin’s leadership.

But the team management has decided to part ways with their captain to usher in the KL Rahul era (or a season, who knows at this point).

But the franchise has made smart moves in the off-season.

Expectedly one of the busiest sides at the auction last year, Anil Kumble and Co showed good restraint in using their remaining purse. In James Neesham (Rs 50 lakhs), Ishan Porel (Rs 10 lakhs), and Chris Jordan (Rs 3 crores), KXIP got three of the top bargain deals on the day while going all out for the X-factor player they looked for in Maxwell.

The hiring of Kumble in itself could prove to be a masterstroke, and with a support staff that includes the likes of Jonty Rhodes, Wasim Jaffer and Andy Flower — all shrewd thinkers of the game — KXIP have put together a team worthy of going all the way.

Players in action post lockdown

Gayle being absent from Caribbean Premier League could actually be a positive for KXIP as the Universe Boss is likely to be fresh and raring to go. The team had Pooran, Mujeeb and Cottrell competing in the just-concluded tournament.

Already touted as the next big thing in West Indies cricket (by Gayle and Pollard, no less) Pooran struck the only century of the CPL that was largely marred by low-scoring games. He smashed a sensational 100 off 45 balls in a knock that underlined his abilities in this format. But 245 runs overall in 11 matches also underlined his inconsistencies and frustrations. Sure the pitches were not the best during CPL but Guyana Amazon Warriors would have expected more from their middle order that comprised Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer,

Playing for Jamaica Tallawahs, Mujeeb was brilliant for large parts of the tournament, finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker. His 16 wickets in 11 outings came at a strike rate of 14 and an economy rate of 5.3. With Ashwin not in the side anymore, Mujeeb’s form will be a boost for KXIP.

Cottrell had a season to forget with Patriots, returning with just five wickets in six matches and went at more than eight runs per over.

In England, Australian dasher Maxwell finished the ODI series with a sensational match-turning, series-clinching century in the decider and also hit an impressive 77 in the opener. He chipped in constantly with useful overs. For the hosts, Jordan played in all six T20Is and picked up five wickets. On current form, he should get the nod ahead of Cottrell for the fourth overseas player slot in the side for KXIP.

Strengths

The top order remains KXIP’s biggest strength and enough has been said about the likes of Rahul, Gayle and Aggarwal and what they bring to the table.

A day after earning his bumper multi-crore pay-day at the auction last year, Maxwell made a triumphant return to competitive cricket by scoring a stunning 39-ball 83 for his Big Bash League side Melbourne Stars. And coming into the tournament, he finished his international assignments with a sensational century in Manchester against England to take Australia to a series win when a defeat seemed imminent. A hungry Maxwell, who had a whirlwind outing in the UAE leg of IPL in 2014, could well be the X-factor for KXIP. Bringing in Maxwell could go either way but given how strong the side’s top order is, KXIP will hope Maxwell adds consistency to their middle order and not unpredictability.

While Shami has found his T20 mojo again with KXIP, the pace bowling options were threadbare for the franchise before the auction but they strengthened there pretty well with Jordan, Porel and Cottrell coming into the fold. “We were looking for Chris Morris initially but once he got out of hand and we lost him, we felt that Chris Jordan would fill that spot for us. He can bowl in the middle overs and he can obviously bowl in the death overs, we were keen to get someone to bowl at the death as that was missing,” Kumble had said. In Jordan, the franchise now have one the best death bowlers in the world along with a top fielder and a handy lower-order batsman at a bargain price.

Weaknesses

We would stick our neck out here and say that, on paper, this KXIP squad has no evident weakness. Good Indian batting options at the top order, solid spinners, power-hitters and good death bowlers. If there is one area they could struggle, it is the lack of bench strength in the pace bowling department. The problems that KXIP have faced in the last two seasons is finishing matches that they had control of and that requires experienced match-winners, which is something the side is short of perhaps even now. If KXIP can close out matches better and bring in consistency to their results over the course of a season instead of just one half, they could be in with a real shout for honours in 2020.

Most Valuable Player

Opener, wicketkeeper and now captain. Rahul has another challenge thrown at him this year. He has had two great seasons with the bat for the franchise (averaging 50-plus in 2018 and 2019 and scoring more than 1,200 runs in the process). It was a shot in the arm for him when the franchise opted not to go for Aaron Finch or Eoin Morgan at the auction as IPL adds another Indian captain to the mix. How well Rahul does in his three roles will determine how far the franchise goes this season.

For KL Rahul, a fresh challenge beckons at IPL 2020

Potential breakout star

There are plenty of options here between Porel, Pooran and Bishnoi but it is the leg-spinner who stands out. Bishnoi was one of the stars of India’s run to the final at this year’s U19 World Cup with 17 wickets in six games to be the highest wicket-taker in the tournament.

The 20-year-old from Rajasthan is a spinner in Rashid Khan’s mould and his googlies could prove a handful on the UAE tracks. Bishnoi has Gowtham, M Ashwin and Mujeeb for company among the spinners in the Kings XI squad but there’s a good chance the youngster could play consistently. And under Kumble’s guidance, he could flourish if he gets a run of games.

Will KXIP’s wait for the IPL title be over in 2020? How will the Anil Kumble-KL Rahul combination fare? Let us know your thoughts by tweeting to us @thefield_in.