Over the past two seasons, the Kings XI Punjab have found themselves on either side of the ladder, as far as the IPL glory is concerned.
While in 2014, they’d won 8 games in a row, and were prime contenders for the trophy before being ousted by the now defunct Chennai Super Kings in the playoffs, in 2015 their campaign witnessed a dismal run as they finished last on the points table and could win just 3 of their 14 games.
However, refurbished with young talent, as well as some key buys in the auction, the Mohali-based franchise would look to turn things around this season.
Their batting core consists of some T20 powerhouses in Glenn Maxwell, the captain, David Miller, and Shaun Marsh amongst overseas players, and some tried and tested Indian batsmen such as Manan Vohra, Murali Vijay, Gurkeerat Singh, and the under-19 sensation, Arman Jaffer.
Punjab also have some decent all-rounders in Rishi Dhawan, Marcus Stoinis, and Axar Patel, to go along with international experience in the bowling line-up comprising Mitchell Johnson, Kyle Abbott, and Mohit Sharma.
Sandeep Sharma and Anureet Singh, who were the mainstays for Punjab in their 2015 campaign, would look to push the bar even higher this season, along with Shardul Thakur, the tall Mumbai fast bowler who has impressed one and all with his Ranji Trophy exploits.
KC Cariappa remains as the only tested Indian frontline spinner in the squad, with Axar Patel and Glenn Maxwell expected to bowl with him in tandem.
However, in Swapnil Singh and Pradeep Sahu, the team has a left-arm spinner and a leg-break bowler, who could be given opportunities this season.
With a pool of talent in the squad, and the burgeoning expectations of doing well in the IPL consistently, picking the final XI for a game could be a tricky task for the captain, David Miller.
The team is scheduled to begin its campaign on April 11 against the Gujarat Lions at the PCA Stadium, Mohali.
Here, we try to predict the playing XI which is most likely to feature for Kings XI.
1. Manan Vohra
For the past three years, Manan Vohra has been a mainstay for the Kings XI, and has played some useful innings at the top of the batting order.
The right-handed opening batsman had his most successful season in 2014, scoring 324 runs from 8 games at an average of 40.50 and a strike-rate of 139.05.
However, he couldn’t quite replicate the same success in the following edition in 2015, wherein he managed only 82 runs from 7 games at 11.71.
Vohra, 22, would look to improve his numbers this season by helping the Kings XI achieve healthy starts at the top, while at the same time, he would look to lay his claim for a spot in the Indian Cricket Team.
2. Shaun Marsh
With 2054 runs from 56 matches, all for Kings XI, Shaun Marsh has been the most trusted overseas campaigner for the team.
Having been a part of the squad for the past six years, Marsh has enough experience of playing in Indian conditions, and has played many crucial knocks for the Punjab-based outfit.
However, Marsh didn’t get enough opportunities in the past two seasons, wherein he scored just 151 runs from 15 matches.
But, considering his recent form in limited-overs cricket for Australia, that includes consecutive half-centuries against India in the ODI series in January this year, as well as decent performances in the Big Bash League wherein he scored 218 runs from 5 games, Marsh would be a massive threat right at the top of the order for all oppositions.
3. Wriddhiman Saha (wk)
The Indian Test wicket-keeper, Wriddhiman Saha, also had a fantastic 2014 with the franchise scoring 362 runs from 17 matches at an average of 32.90 and a strike-rate of 145.38.
However, like Vohra, his form dipped in the last season wherein he could manage only 249 runs in 14 games at an average of 19.15.
The wicketkeeper-batsman, who had a decent Ranji season for Bengal, would look to translate that success into the IPL, and fortify his place in the Indian Test side, especially considering the fact that India are supposed to play 18 Test matches in the upcoming season.
He can be both, a swashbuckling attacking batsman, as well as a patient strike rotator, as was seen in his Test performances, and hence suits the No. 3 position in the line-up.
4. Glenn Maxwell
Glenn Maxwell, arguably, can be hailed as the trump card for the Kings XI, given the fact that he is, at present, one of the most unpredictable (in terms of shot-making ability) and destructive T20 batsmen in world cricket.
With a couple of 30s and a couple of 20s in the World T20, and a match-winning 75 against South Africa, Maxwell looks to be in good touch in the lead-up to the IPL, and if we consider his finishing efforts against India in the ODI series held in January, he would appear to be in ominous form.
Apart from his ability to hit the ball to any corner of the ground, his right arm, part-time off-spin has also been quite effective for Australia as well as his for BBL franchise Melbourne Stars.
Maxwell, much loved by the Kings XI fans, also has a terrific record in the IPL with 739 runs from 32 games at an average of 24.63 and a brilliant strike-rate of 166.44. Of these, he had scored 552 runs in the 2014 season alone, and would look to replicate that this season as well.
5. Gurkeerat Singh Mann
While 229 runs from 21 matches at 14.31 might not show Gurkeerat Singh Mann in good light, but the Punjab-born batsman has more to him than his IPL records. In nearly the same number of first-class games, 23, Mann averages 46.45 with 1533 runs.
This stat indicates that the ability to play big innings is there within, and it’s just that the batsman hasn’t been given enough exposure and opportunities at the international level.
He also has 1603 runs from 50 List A games at an average of 41.10. With a T20 strike-rate of 121.92, things can only get better for this 25-year-old middle order batsman henceforth.
A proper knowledge of the conditions at his home ground in Mohali would also hold him in good stead for selection into the final XI. His ability to rotate the strike during the middle overs as well as clear the fence when needed, makes him an apt middle-order batsman.
6. David Miller (captain)
The captain of the Kings XI, and one of the best finishers in T20 cricket at the moment, David Miller, rounds off the batting line-up for his team at No. 6.
1319 runs from 47 games at an average of 42.54 and a strike-rate of 147.53 aptly describe his credentials with the bat.
As far as recent form his concerned, two 30s and a match-winning 53* against Australia in the three-match T20 series that preceded the World T20 as well as a brisk 28* in SA’s mammoth total of 229 against England qualify him as an in-form batsman.
Mohali has already witnessed the destruction that the South African left-hander is capable of, as for the past 3 seasons, he has been scoring runs at an average of 30 plus, and his strike-rates in these years have been 134.21 (2015), 149.16 (2014), and 164.56 (2013).
Having said that, in Miller, Punjab have a man who can turn the game on its head single-handedly.
7. Rishi Dhawan
Having recently earned his Team India call-up on the back of an excellent Ranji Trophy season, Rishi Dhawan has also been one of the mainstays for the Kings XI over the past two years.
Although his IPL career, only three years old, is still in its nascent stages, as is evident from his bowling record of 16 wickets from 24 games, his exploits in domestic cricket, especially in first-class cricket, make him a really canny customer.
Dhawan has a mind-boggling 220 wickets from just 51 first-class games at an average of 25.79 to go along with 74 List A wickets from 58 games. Overall, he has accounted for 47 wickets in his T20 career from 65 matches.
Apart from his exploits with the ball, Dhawan also has 139 runs from the 24 IPL games that he has played at an average of almost 20. The runs and averages increase exponentially as one moves from IPL to first-class and List A cricket.
The Himachal Pradesh cricketer has 2165 runs at 40.84 in first-class cricket and 1132 runs at 37.73 in List A cricket. Hence, when the need arises, Dhawan can also be very handy with the bat.
8. Axar Patel
Axar Patel, over the past couple of years, has matured as a spinner, and although he didn’t find himself in the Indian T20 squad for the World T20, his skills as a slow bowler when it comes to applying pressure on the opposition has been seen by everyone.
30 wickets from 31 IPL games at an average of 26.56 and an economy rate of 7.07 shows that Patel has as good with picking up wickets as he is with controlling the flow of runs through his wicket-to-wicket bowling.
He has also scored 268 runs in these games at 17.86 and a strike-rate of 114.52, which means, that he is a batsman good enough to hit a quick 15-20-run-knock lower down the order.
The 22-year-old also has 28 wickets from 22 ODIs that he has played for India at 28.82 and a decent economy rate of 4.73.
9. Kyle Abbott
Kings XI Punjab have made very few changes to their squad this season during the auctions, and Kyle Abbott happens to be one such change.
The South African fast bowler has been a revelation for the Proteas in all forms of the game, and has been a consistent wicket-taking option for them.
In 21 T20I, Abbott has 26 wickets at 22.26, and an economy rate of 7.96, which is very good considering the nature of the game. His abilities to swing the ball as well as bowl well at the death makes him a vital cog in any bowling line-up and Kings XI have made the right move in buying them.
He would be making his IPL debut this year.
10. Sandeep Sharma
Sandeep Sharma received his Team India call for the tour of Zimbabwe last year on the back to successful stints with the Kings XI Punjab, having picked 39 wickets from 29 IPL games.
Sharma's genesis has been this very Kings XI camp, as the Punjab-born cricketer first rose to prominence in the team’s successful 2014 season, picking up 18 wickets from 11 matches, and then 13 wickets from 14 matches, the following year.
He has a bowling average of 21.10 and an economy rate of 7.75 from these games which is exceptional for a fast-bowler in T20 cricket.
11. Anureet Singh
Sandeep’s bowling partner from last season, Anureet Singh, has a similar tale to tell, except for the fact that his team India call hasn't arrived yet.
With 17 wickets from 17 matches, at an average of 30.11 and a high economy rate of 9.03, Anureet has been leaky but effective for Punjab, as he has been a wicket-taking bowler.
Together with Sandeep, he has often been able to either pick up wickets up front, or apply pressure from one end so as to enable his bowling partner to grab wickets.
His economy rate is on the higher side however, and he would look to make amends to that this season.
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