IPL 2018, Match 2: Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) 'Predicted 11' to face Delhi Daredevils

It will be an action-packed Sunday at the IPL with the Kings XI Punjab taking on Gautam Gambhir's Delhi Daredevils at the iconic PCA Stadium in Mohali.

The perennial under-performers of the IPL, KXIP has tried to plug the holes that have derailed their journey in the past, and have managed to assemble a potent squad with a strong Indian core.

Having said that, let us look at the Probable XI that KXIP will field against the Delhi Daredevils in their tournament opener.

Here's my Probable XI

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#1 Chris Gayle

Gayle has batted with Agarwal before for RCB

Opening the batting would be Chris Gayle. The 'Universe Boss' Chris Gayle has been a perennial legend of the T20 format of the game, having terrorized bowlers all over the world with his panache for brutal power-hitting.

The only batsman to accumulate in excess of 10,000 runs in the shortest format of the game, Gayle was almost unsold in this year's auction when KXIP eventually racked up the Jamaican for a base price of Rs. 2 crores in the 11th hour.

On his day, Gayle can pulverize reputations into submission, as he has so often done in the past ten years of the IPL.

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#2 Mayank Agarwal

Agarwal will resume his partnership with Gayle at KXIP

Partnering Gayle will be the wonder boy of the 2017/18 Indian domestic season, Mayank Aggarwal. With 1160 runs in Ranji Trophy, 723 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and over 250 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament at a strike rate of 144.94, it's fair to say that Agarwal is in the form of his life.

The left-right combination that he'll form with his former RCB partner can pave way for shenanigans of their middle-order to take over.

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#3 KL Rahul (Wicket-Keeper)

This IPL will be crucial for Rahul

At No. 3 will be Indian and now former RCB batsman Lokesh Rahul. One of the few batsmen to hit a century in all three formats of the game, Rahul, when in form, is a delight to watch. One of the prime qualities of Rahul is his versatility.

He can hit the ball long, while at the same time, he has the game to play according to the situation, so pivotal in the T20 format.

Rahul missed last season due to injury and was bought by KXIP for a whopping Rs. 11 crores, and his association with Finch at the top might prove to be a cornerstone of KXIP's resurgence as an IPL franchise this year.

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#4 Karun Nair

The Karnataka batsman has been in scintillating form this winter

Coming in at No. 4 is the second triple centurion in the history of Indian Test cricket, Karun Nair.

Nair has been in scintillating form this winter especially in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 trophy where he accumulated 379 runs (third on the list of top run-getters in the tournament) in nine matches at a strike rate of 173.85.

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#5 Yuvraj Singh

Homecoming for Yuvraj

At No. 5 will be the Prince of Punjab, Yuvraj Singh. A stalwart of the limited-overs format, Yuvraj returns to his home franchise with a sense of indifferent form.

With a pedigree to change matches in a matter of balls, the initial games will be crucial for both Yuvraj as well as for KXIP, as the southpaw's good form can set the torn for the tournament.

#6 David Miller

Miller has been in indifferent form off-late

Though a bit off-color in recent times, David Miller remains one of the most fearsome batsmen in the shortest format of the game.

A perennial heavyweight of the IPL, Miller has produced some of the finest T20 innings for KXIP over the years, and the franchise would be hoping that the southpaw regains his touch and compiles an encore of his former self.

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#7 Marcus Stoinis

The potential X-Factor

If you ask yourself who can be the potential X-Factor for KXIP in the 2018 season? One name that instantly comes to mind is Australia's all-rounder Marcus Stoinis.

Stoinis shot into fame when he pulverized the Kiwi attack into submission with a breathtaking 146 at Auckland. His blitz earned him an IPL contract with the Kings XI Punjab.

Despite the franchise finishing at the bottom, Stoinis made a sizeable impact, scoring 146 runs in five innings at 135.18 while scalping eight wickets in the process. How Stoinis fares this season, might just define KXIP's campaign of 2018.

#8 Ravi Ashwin (Captain)

Ashwin will be making his captaincy debut

One of the few things that I am looking forward to in this IPL is how Ravichandran Ashwin fares in his captaincy debut.

It has been a tough time for Ashwin off-late after having been sidelined from the limited-overs set-up due to indifferent form and the emergence of wrist-spinners, Kuldeep and Chahal.

This year, apart from his bowling, Ashwin will lead the side, and with the knowledge and game sense at his disposal, it'll be interesting to see how the vile off-spinner fares.

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#9 Axar Patel

The only player to be retained by KXIP

The only player to be retained by the KXIP this year, Axar Patel will accompany Ashwin in the spin bowling department.

An orthodox left-arm spinner who thrives on choking the batsmen with his variations, Axar has taken 58 wickets in 59 matches at an average of 26.67, and will play a key part of KXIP's plans this year.

#10 Mohit Sharma

Sharma needs to step-up this season

While Punjab has done remarkably well at the auctions to assemble an all-around squad, there are few chinks in their armour which are difficult to overlook. The most prominent of them is the lack of depth in fast bowling.

This is where the role of Mohit Sharma becomes pivotal. With years of experience now under his belt and a bag of tricks to deceive the batsman, it remains to be seen if he can step us and be the leader of the attack.

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#11 Andrew Tye

Tye has made a sensational turnaround in his career

A match-winning performance (5-46 vs England) and a paycheck of $1.4 million (AU) in the IPL auctions, it was a pretty surreal day for Australian fast-bowler Andrew Tye.

A late bloomer, 31-year-old Tye is predominantly a limited-overs bowler who thrives on choking the batsmen with his nagging line and a plethora of subtle variations that tend to bamboozle even the best in the game.

Tye would be an invaluable asset to KXIP, a side beleaguered with lack of potency in the fast-bowling department.