IPL 2019: Kings XI Punjab's Predicted Playing Lineup vs Rajasthan Royals

With the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League underway, Kings XI Punjab will look to play their opening game against Rajasthan Royals in the pink city which will be hosting the Kings XI.

Kings XI did not have the best of the IPL in 2018 and will be looking to make amends and create history by winning the title for the first time. They will be facing a fresh Royals team led by Ajinkya Rahane. Kings XI have a good mix of players in their squad. They have good batsmen in the form of Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair, excellent all-rounders like Sam Curran and their skipper Ravichandran Ashwin and in form bowlers like Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Andrew Tye. They also have experience in the form of Chris Gayle and KL Rahul and young blood in the form Varun Chakravarthy and Prabhsimran Singh.

Here is what the Kings could field in their opening encounter against the Royals.

Openers:- Chris Gayle and KL Rahul

The duo could form a dangerous opening pair.

Chris Gayle is in the form of his life and will be looking to create more records in the 12th edition of the league. He was recently adjudged man of the match in the England vs Windies ODI series where he hit 39 sixes in the five matches which was more than the whole England team combined. He would look to continue his amazing run of form and make it big in what could be one of his last few seasons in the league.

The second opener in the team which is also a no brainer would be KL Rahul. He announced his return to the league by hitting the fastest half-century. He has been in good form too and he will look to replicate his performances against Australia.

With both the openers in form and having the ability to go big, they could look to set the stage for the middle order to score big.

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Middle Order - Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Sarfaraz Khan, Mandeep Singh

The presence of Mayank Agarwal will boost the middle order.

The Kings XI boast of a strong middle order. They have with them the likes of Mayank Agarwal, who after stamping his authority in the Tests, would now look to dominate IPL also. Mayank had a poor outing in 2018 scoring just 120 runs in 11 innings. He would look to make amends and prove his true worth to the team. His wide variety of shots help him play all around the ground and he would look to score big in the tournament.

Karun Nair had a decent outing in 2018 scoring 301 at an impressive strike of a 130+. His performance will be crucial to Punjab's chances of winning the game. He provides stability to the middle order and can also play the big shots. He is one of those players who would make an ideal No.4 in a team

Sarfaraz Khan would be coming after Karun Nair. He too had a dismal outing in 2018 but he has shown what he can do with the bat during his short stint with RCB. He is someone who can play the big shots and smash the bowlers all around the park. Coming at No.5, he can make full use of the platform set by the upper order to get a big score.

Mandeep Singh had a mixed 2018. He scored 252 runs at a healthy strike rate and would like to see himself make full and better use of his potential and get big scores. He makes the case of a perfect pinch hitter down the order.

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All-Rounders - Ravichandran Ashwin and Sam Curran

Both these players would like to carry their Red-ball form to white ball cricket.

The first all-rounder that Punjab will play will be their skipper Ravi Ashwin. Ashwin had a decent outing in 2018 scoring 102 runs at a strike rate of 145+ and taking 10 wickets at an average of 41. He also prevented the team from a collapse against KKR by scoring a handy 45. He will look to continue his performance and prove to the people that he is as good in white ball cricket as he is in red ball cricket. He will be looking to try out the new variations he has been practicing.

The biggest find of the year, Sam Curran, is the perfect all-rounder you could ask for. He is a left-handed seamer who can bowl at frightening speeds and smack the ball around the park. He has had memorable experiences of playing against India as he became the difference between the two sides when India toured England. He will hope to have a brilliant debut season and prove his price tag.

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Bowlers - Varun Chakravarty, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Andrew Tye

Andrew Tye will hold the key to KXIP's bowling attack this year

The Kings XI have one of the strongest bowling attacks with them. With their mystery spinner Mujeeb and genuine pacer Tye, they form a formidable bowling attack.

The Purple Cap holder of 2018 will don the red jersey once again hoping that he can produce match-winning performances just like 2018. He has been in great form throughout the year and he would also be looking to book a World Cup spot for himself if he performs well in the league.

One of the best finds of 2018, Mujeeb Ur Rahman is someone who has troubled even the best and biggest names of cricket. He had a brilliant 2018 picking up 14 wickets some of which included big names. His mystery spin is hard to pick and he is one of the best in business out there.

The biggest name at the auction this year, Varun Chakravarty will look to justify his extremely huge price tag. He will step on the field huge expectations and will look to get his wickets with his aggressive bowling.

With such a balanced playing XI, it would interesting to see how Royals play against this team and try to secure a win.

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