IPL 2019: 3 fast bowlers Kings XI Punjab could target at the auction

At the 2018 IPL, the Kings XI Punjab finished in seventh place despite having a great start to the season. While a few of their players performed consistently, the others drifted around and were constantly subjected to chopping and changing.

In the pace bowling department, their Indian pacers Mohit Sharma and Barinder Sran were quite disappointing. Death overs specialist Andrew Tye one of the few silver linings, pickin up 26 wickets to win the Purple Cap. Ankit Rajpoot also impressed in the limited chances that he got.

Kings XI Punjab have released the following players ahead of the auction:

Aaron Finch, Axar Patel, Mohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Barinder Sran, Ben Dwarshuis, Manoj Tiwary, Akshdeep Nath, Pardeep Sahu, Mayank Dagar, and Manzoor Dar

And they have retained the following players:

Lokesh Rahul, Chris Gayle, Andrew Tye, Mayank Agarwal, Ankit Rajpoot, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Karun Nair, David Miller, and Ravichandran Ashwin

Let's take a look at 3 pacers they can target at the auction.

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#3 V Athisayaraj Davidson

Davidson can be a great option in Kings XI's quest for an Indian pacer. Hailing from Tamil Nadu, he made a name for himself after an extremely successful campaign in the TNPL.

Known for his low slingy action which is often compared to that of Lasith Malinga, Davidson bowls fantastic yorkers and is a great partnership breaker.

With very little known about him, Davidson could be an effective differential for the team this year. Punjab would do well to mold the young bowler into a great player.

#2 Dale Steyn

Dale Steyn

The fiery Proteas pacer has made a remarkable comeback to his international career after injury, and the franchises will hope that he can make one in the IPL as well.

Last season, the Kings XI side lacked a strike bowler or someone who could take the attack to the opposition batsmen. Steyn can be that bowler for them.

His stats against Australia in the ODI series were excellent; he picked up 7 wickets in 3 matches at a miserly economy rate of 3.48 and a stellar average of 13.42. With the possibility of the IPL being shifted to South Africa, Steyn will be a very attractive option for a team like Punjab.

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#1 Oshane Thomas

Oshane Thomas was probably the best bowler for the West Indies in the recently concluded T20I series against India. He also finished as the second highest wicket taker while playing for the Jamaica Tallawahs in the Caribbean Premier League, picking up 18 wickets in 10 matches with an excellent average of 17.66 and a decent economy rate of 8.36.

Thomas can both open the bowling and finish off at the death, and his results on Indian pitches have proven his mettle. With most teams likely to be gunning for him, KXIP, who have a large enough purse, would look to outbid them all.