IPL 2018: 4 reason why the Kings XI Punjab may clinch their maiden title

In the 10 years of IPL since its inception in the year 2008, the team from Punjab has failed to win a single title. The closest they came to winning a title was in the year 2014 when they were the runners-up.

After finishing third in the inaugural edition of the IPL, they failed to go beyond the group stage until 2014. The years 2015, 2016 were indeed disastrous as they finished last in the tournament. The year 2017 saw a bit of an improvement and they finished fifth on the points table.

The 2018 auctions saw the Kings XI acquiring a few exciting cricketers who will look to add value to the team. The team has a perfect mix of Indian youth and experienced players who along with the foreign players will be vital to the success of the team.

Here is a look at 4 reasons as to why the Kings XI will be one of the favorites to win their maiden IPL trophy.

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#4 Experienced Indian spinners

Ravichandran Ashwin will captain the Kings XI Punjab in the 2018 IPL

In Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel, the Kings have got two spinners who can effectively change the course of the match in T20 cricket. While Ashwin has bowled effectively in the power play overs in the past, Axar can be the perfect go-to option for captain Ashwin in the middle overs.

Spinners have dominated IPL in the past and the experience of Ashwin and Patel will be handy for the team. The duo will be expected to bowl 8 out of the 20 overs in all the matches and will look to replicate their past IPL success this season also, Axar averages 26.67 with the ball in 59 IPL matches with an economy of 7.42.

Ashwin, on the other hand, has an impressive IPL record and has picked up 100 IPL wickets at an average of 24.99 and impressive economy of 6.55. Ashwin, being the captain of the Kings this season, will have a trick or two up his sleeve and will be looking to stage a comeback in the Indian national team on the basis of an impressive IPL performance.

Apart from Ashwin and Patel, the Kings have a part-time spinner in Yuvraj Singh who can be handy and bowl a couple of overs as and when the situation demands.

#3 A pool of Indian talent

Mayank Agarwal will look to replicate his domestic level success in the IPL

The Kings have identified the Indian talent who have been performing well at the domestic and the international level. In Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair and K.L. Rahul, the Kings have 3 batsmen who have excelled in the previous editions of the IPL.

Mayank Agarwal has been in excellent form in domestic cricket last season and will be looking to impress one and all with his performances in the IPL.

The middle order seems to be settled with Indians like Yuvraj Singh and Manoj Tiwari who have considerable experience.

In Mohit Sharma and Barinder Sran, they have played international cricket and have considerable experience of playing domestic cricket too.

Overall the Indian talent will be vital to the success of the campaign of the Kings in the 2018 IPL.

#2 Dynamic foreign players

Chris Gayle will be representing the Kings XI

The Kings have a problem of plenty when it will come to shortlisting 4 overseas players in the playing 11. The likes of Chris Gayle, David Miller, Marcus Stoinis and Aaron Finch will compete for the 3 slots in the batting line up.

The above-mentioned players are capable of changing the course of a T 20 game in an over or two and are match winners on their day. While the likes of Gayle, Finch, and Miller have entertained the crowds with their aggressive batting in the previous seasons of the IPL, Stoinis will look to replicate his success which he has tasted at the international level in the IPL.

Andrew Tye will be the lead pace bowler for the Kings and he started off his IPL career with a bang for Gujarat Lions last season when he bagged a hat-trick on debut.

#1 Well balanced squad

Yuvraj Singh will be a key player in the middle order

The Kings have one of the most balanced squads this IPL. In Mayank Agarwal and Chris Gayle, they have an aggressive left-right hand combination who are capable of taking any attack to the cleaners on their day.

With the likes of K.L. Rahul, Karun Nair, David Miler, Yuvraj Singh, Marcus Stoinis and Manoj Tiwari in the middle order, the Kings management will have a problem of plenty to choose from in the middle order.

The spinners in Ashwin and Patel and the fast bowlers in Tye, Mohit Sharma, and Sran have experience of playing cricket at the international level. Overall the team is a well-balanced one with only one weakness i.e. the absence of a specialist wicketkeeper.

The Kings have the team to take them to glory this season. With the dynamic players in the lineup, the Kings start as one of the pre-tournament favorites and will hope that Ashwin will lead them to their maiden IPL trophy.