IPL 2018: 3 unsold players who could have improved KXIP’s season

Kings XI Punjab’s season is going from bad to worse. Ashwin & Co. are on the brink of elimination from IPL 2018. After a great start, with 5 wins from their first 6 games, they are currently sixth in the table with a poor net run rate of -0.490.

For them to go through to the playoffs, they will have to win their next game and hope that other results go in their favor. They want both Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians to lose their last game. Also, they don’t want RCB to win their last two games.

What happened to Punjab’s form after a great start?

When Chris Gayle and KL Rahul fired in unison, Punjab never needed the services of their middle order batsmen. When Gayle failed in the second-half of the season, Ashwin wanted Karun Nair and Yuvraj Singh to step up. But they didn’t.

Also, apart from Tye and Mujeeb, none of their bowlers showed any steel. Aswin could not find a good bowler to replace Mujeeb when he was injured. Their bench strength was weak and players like Stoinis, Tiwary, and Agarwal could not inspire the team.

On that note, let’s take a look at the 3 unsold players who could have taken Kings XI Punjab to the playoffs without any fuzz.

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#1 Joe Root

Root could have played a big role for KXIP in the middle order

Unlike many other cricketers, Root is one of those players who can easily adapt to all three formats of the game. Joe Root has a T20I average of 39.10 and a strike rate of 128.76 but no IPL franchise wanted the services of the Englishman this season.

Seeing the kind of impact New Zealand's Kane Williamson has created in IPL 2018 with his quality stroke play, many cricket fans would be wondering why the franchises ignored Root, who is of the same caliber.

It was KXIP's middle order that has cost them at least a couple of games this season. With Aaron Finch and Yuvraj Singh struggling for runs in the middle order, it is the strongest aspects of Joe Root's batting. His consistency and ability to play spin would have certainly helped the KXIP during the overs 7 to 15.

#2 Moises Henriques

Henriques had a good IPL 2017 with Sunrisers

Moises Henriques was one of the successful all-rounders in IPL. The Australian has scored almost 1000 runs in IPL at a strike rate of 130 and picked up 37 wickets at an economy rate of 8.38.

With 277 runs at an average of 46 and a strike rate of 136, the 31-year-old was a consistent player for Sunrisers Hyderabad last season. He scored a lot of runs in the middle overs and bowled some useful overs.

What KXIP lacked this season was a quality all-rounder. They paid a whopping Rs 6.2 crores for Marcus Stoinis in the 2018 auction and it turned out to be a disaster. With only 99 runs and three wickets from seven games, Stoinis was a complete failure this season. Also, he conceded a lot many runs (11 runs per over) in his bowling.

#3 Peter Siddle

Siddle was exceptional in BBL 2017/18

Peter Siddle is a forgotten man in international cricket these days. However, the hardworking Aussie seamer was phenomenal for Adelaide Strikers in their title-winning 2017/18 Big Bash League.

In 11 BBL games this season, the 33-year-old has picked up 11 wickets. What made his one of the best bowlers of the tournament was his economy rate. He was the only bowler after Rashid Khan amongst the top 10 wicket takers to go at the rate of less than 6 per over.

With all their Indian seamers going for runs (Mohit Sharma - 11.09/over and Barinder Sran - 10.40/over), Siddle would have been an excellent addition to the KXIP squad. Tye was the lone warrior for KXIP this season and they definitely missed a quality seamer to support him. Siddle could have certainly helped him.