IPL 2019: KXIP's strongest playing XI for their first game against RR

The Kings XI Punjab had a mixed bag last season and disappointed their fans who thought that the team were close to repeating what they did in 2014. After topping the table in the first half of the season, they slumped to the 7th position due to successive losses which highlighted the side's middle order issues and the inability to chase down scores.

The team went all-out at the auction and bought 13 players after releasing a lot of players. Few of their new additions are mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy (₹8.4 Crore), English all-rounder Sam Curran (₹7.2 Crore) and Indian pace bowler Mohammed Shami (₹4.8 Crore).

They will look to forget the past and begin their IPL campaign with a bang in their first game against the Rajasthan Royals in the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on 25th March, Monday.

It won't be easy to bat first and the dew factor will come into play for the chasing side though it may not be as much as it does in other grounds. Both the teams have to get their team combinations right and let's take a look at KXIP's strongest playing XI to face RR.

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Openers: Chris Gayle and KL Rahul

Chris Gayle has looked in tremendous touch and just can't be dropped for this match. The Caribbean dispelled doubts about his form with a great outing against England and he may very well carry on the momentum to Jaipur and hit a few balls out of the park and set things rolling for KXIP.

This season will be crucial for KL Rahul in order to make it to the WC squad but if he overcomes his starting trouble, the Karnataka batsman is one of the best to watch. He didn't do a bad job with the gloves last season and was simply unstoppable with the bat. He'll want to get his team off to a great start and get some runs under his belt.

Middle Order - Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, and Mandeep Singh

The KXIP middle order let them down big time last season and they will want to redeem themselves this time around. The players aren't the same as what they were before and Mayank Agarwal especially is on fire right now. He was delightful to watch in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and will settle into the number 3 spot.

Karun Nair will consider himself unlucky as, despite his consistency, he continues to be on the bench as far as the Indian team is concerned. He is a beautiful player to watch and will fit in perfectly at number 4 for the team. He can play the anchoring role and despite a sub-par last season, he has what it takes to make a lot of runs this season.

Mandeep Singh was traded to Punjab by RCB in return for Marcus Stoinis and the batsman will want to excel for his new side. He hasn't been in great form ahead of this season but made a couple of vital contributions for RCB last season. The underrated batsman can bat anywhere in the middle order and will most likely be forced to number 6 due to Nicholas Pooran's presence. He can bowl some medium pace if required.

Wicket-keeper and All-rounder - Nicholas Pooran and Sam Curran

2 newcomers are expected to make their IPL debut in the game vs RR. Caribbean sensation Nicholas Pooran and English speedster Sam Curran are expected to feature in the side's playing XI.

Pooran will take the burden of wicket-keeping from Rahul and even his batting will be put under the scanner after his blistering efforts in the Bangladesh Premier League and the T10 League. Pooran is a clean striker of the ball and has the ability to go big right from the first ball. His ideal batting position is either number 4 or 5 and with Nair at 4, he might very well make the number 5 spot his own with some quality performances.

The other debutant, Sam Curran, made a name for himself with his performances playing for England against India and won the 'Man of the Series' for his brilliant bowling and vital contributions with the bat. Curran will be the perfect number 7 batsman for Punjab and can go big as well as hang in there. His bowling is the highlight and bowls at around 135 Kph and swings the ball very well. He'll be one of the players to watch out for this season.

Spinners - Ravichandran Ashwin (C) and Varun Chakravarthy

KXIP have to make a tough decision and drop Mujeeb Ur Rahman in favor of Pooran or Curran because the Rajasthan pitch supports pace more than spin and it becomes hard to bowl spin as time goes on. With a quality spinner in Ashwin and the need to test big buy Varun, Mujeeb might have to sit out a couple of games but he can make it back if some of the other overseas players fail.

Ashwin will want to set things right this season and bowl more overs with the ball and pick up wickets. He's also a handy batsman who can come out to bat if needed.

Varun Chakravarthy made headlines after being bought for ₹8.4 Crore in the auction and this mystery spinner will want to unleash his tricks against the RR batsmen. He has heavy competition for a spot in the side and must perform well and shrug off the nerves.

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Fast Bowlers - Mohammed Shami and Andrew Tye

KXIP lacked a partner for Andrew Tye last season and Mohammad Shami might fit the bill perfectly, especially with his current form and confidence. Shami was bought by Punjab for ₹4.8 Crore and the deal seems like it may pay off as Shami is bowling very well. He will want to make use of the pace and bounce available in the Jaipur track and trouble the RR batsmen.

Andrew Tye was probably the best death bowler last season matching the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and was the saving grace for Punjab on many occasions. He won the Purple Cap picking up 24 wickets and doled out many variations which got the better of the batsmen and he will be Punjab's go-to bowler.

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