IPL 2020: 3 players who could be surplus to KXIP

Owing to their dismal performance in the last season Kings XI Punjab made huge changes to their squad for the upcoming season. With a new captain, new coach and a new squad, the team will be hoping for better results this season. And by the look of it the Kings have been able to assemble a strong squad. The team management has tried to cover every base and has thus ended with quite a few options in every department.

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KXIP Squad

KL Rahul (wk), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Mandeep Singh, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Nicholas Pooran (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Glenn Maxwell, Deepak Hooda, James Neesham, K. Gowtham, Darshan Nalkande, Murugan Ashwin, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, J. Suchith, Harpreet Brar, Ravi Bishnoi, Tajinder Dhillon, Mohammed Shami, Hardus Viljoen, Arshdeep Singh, Sheldon Cottrell, Ishan Porel, Chris Jordan.

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While it is good to have a strong bench-strength, some deserving players might not get too many opportunities due to strong competition for places in the playing XI. Kings XI Punjab has quite a few players in the squad who might get less or no game time at all during the season.

Also see – U19 world cup schedule

Here are 3 players who could be surplus to Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2020:

#3 Chris Jordan

Chris Jordan

Chris Jordan is England's T20 specialist and has been a regular member of England's T20 squad having played 43 games for the national team. Apart from this, he also has a lot of franchise cricket experience as he has played in various T20 leagues around the world. The 31-year-old is known for his pinpoint yorkers in the death overs and can be a fantastic addition to any T20 side.

However, KXIP already has the likes of Hardus Viljoen and newly-bought Sheldon Cottrell in the side which might make it difficult for an overseas pacer to find a place in the playing XI. Also, Jordan's performance in the IPL hasn't been quite upto the mark.

#2 James Neesham

James Neesham

James Neesham's career has been marred with injuries and inconsistent form. However, the year 2019 was extremely productive for the New Zealand all-rounder. Neesham was instrumental in New Zealand's journey to the finals of the World Cup. Neesham contributed heavily both with the bat & ball and was one of the top performers of the tournament. It became impossible for IPL franchises to overlook his World Cup performance as he was bought by Kings XI Punjab at his base price of INR 50 lakh.

Having said that, Neesham hasn't set the stage on fire in the IPL so far. He last played in the IPL in 2014 when he represented Delhi Daredevils. The Kiwi played just 4 games in which he scored only 22 runs and took a single wicket. More importantly, the Kings have a strong overseas contingent and with the likes of Glenn Maxwell in the mix, there might not be room for another overseas all-rounder in the playing XI.

#1 Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Mujeeb Ur Rahman announced himself in IPL 2018 when he bamboozled some big names with his spin bowling. Mujeeb's career has taken off since then as he is one of the most sought-after spinners in T20 cricket. However, to the surprise of many, Mujeeb might struggle to find a place in the KXIP playing XI this season.

Chris Gayle, Glenn Maxwell and Nicolas Pooran are considered to be sure starters in the playing XI while a pacer might take the fourth overseas player slot in the line-up. Moreover, the Kings have packed their side with Indian spinners which signals to the fact that they might rely on the Indian contingent in the spin department. Krishnappa Gowtham, Murugan Ashwin and Jagadeesha Suchith have a fair bit of IPL experience and might be preferred over Mujeeb. While there are no doubts about Mujeeb's prowess as a spinner, the team composition might result in him warming the bench in IPL 2020.