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Kings XI Punjab lost their maiden IPL match against Chennai Super Kings in a high scoring encounter.
Kings XI Punjab along with Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore are the only active IPL franchises to have not yet won the IPL yet, despite being the part of the tournament since the inaugural edition.
In the ten year history of IPL, Kings XI Punjab have qualified for the playoffs only twice in 2008 and 2014, with their best finish being in IPL 2014 where they finished as runners-up to Kolkata Knight Riders.
IPL 2008 started on a bad note for Kings XI Punjab as they lost their starting two matches but recovered to finish second in the points table thereby reaching the semifinals, where they lost to Chennai Super Kings.
Kings XI Punjab played their maiden IPL match against Chennai Super Kings on 19 April 2008. KXIP did not have a good match, as CSK batsmen batting first smashed Punjab's bowlers to all corners of the stadium and put on the then highest total of 240 runs in 20 overs on the back of a brilliant century by Michael Hussey.
Punjab's batsmen put up on a brave fight and scored 207 runs in their 20 overs, thus losing the high scoring encounter by 33 runs.
Currently, only two players who took the field for the Preity Zinta co-owned franchise in their maiden IPL match against Chennai are playing in the IPL, with only one of those players reuniting with Kings XI Punjab franchise in this year's IPL, after a long gap of 8 years.
So, let us have a look at the playing XI of KXIP that took the field in their maiden IPL encounter.
#1 Karan Goel
Former Punjab batsman, Karan Goel opened the innings for Kings XI Punjab in their maiden IPL match with James Hopes and scored a quickfire 24 runs off 19 balls by hitting two fours and one six. Overall in IPL 2008, Goel played just 6 matches and scored 75 runs at a poor average of 12.5, with a strike rate of 105.63.
Goel made his first-class debut for Punjab in 2005-06 Ranji Trophy season. However, Goel failed to put up consistent performances for Punjab in the domestic circuit and played his last first-class match in 2012 at the age of 25.
In IPL, Goel played only for Kings XI Punjab from 2008-2010. Currently, his whereabouts are unknown.
#2 James Hopes
Former Australia all-rounder, James Hopes smashed a quickfire 71 runs off just 33 balls in Kings XI Punjab's maiden IPL match, but was expensive with the ball as he conceded 53 runs from his 4 overs but picked up the big wicket of MS Dhoni.
Hopes did not have a good IPL 2008, and scored 221 runs in 11 matches with the bat at an average of 20.09, with a strike rate of 149.32 and picked up just 7 wickets at an expensive economy rate of 9.85.
Hopes had a very short international career in Australian ODI and T20I teams from 2005 to 2010, due to his inconsistent performances and last played for Australia in October 2010. In IPL apart from Kings XI Punjab, Hopes also played for Delhi Daredevils in 2011 and now defunct Pune Warriors India in 2012 and is currently the bowling coach of the Delhi outfit in IPL 2018.
#3 Kumar Sangakkara (Wicketkeeper)
Sri Lanka's legend Kumar Sangakkara played just 9 matches for Kings XI Punjab in the inaugural edition and scored 320 runs at a decent average of 35.56 at a superb strike rate of 161.62. In Punjab's maiden IPL match, Sangakkara put on a partnership of 55 runs of just 27 balls with James Hopes for the second wicket and scored 54 runs off just 33 balls by hitting 5 fours and 2 sixes.
Kumar Sangakkara played for Sri Lanka from 2000 to 2015 and retired from international cricket with more than 27,500 runs in all the 3 formats of the game, apart from taking more than 600 catches as a wicketkeeper. Kumar Sangakkara is widely regarded by many cricket pundits as the greatest batsmen to have ever played for Sri Lanka in the history of International Cricket.
In IPL apart from Kings XI Punjab, Sangakkara also played for now-defunct Deccan Chargers from 2011 to 2012 and Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2013. Currently, Sangakkara is busy playing in T20 leagues worldwide such as Pakistan Super League, Carribean Premier League, and Big Bash League.
#4 Yuvraj Singh (Captain)
Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh is currently the only player in the world to have won ICC U-19 World Cup, ICC T20 World Cup, and an ICC ODI World Cup. Yuvraj was also the Man of the Tournament in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 in which he played despite being diagnosed with cancer.
He was one of the top performers at the ICC T20 World Cup 2007, with the highlight of that tournament being him smashing England's Stuart Broad for 6 sixes in an over.
Yuvraj was captain of the Kings XI Punjab in the inaugural edition of IPL and scored 299 runs in 15 matches at an average of 23 and a strike rate of 162.50. In Punjab's inaugural IPL match, Yuvraj a scored quickfire 23 runs off just 13 balls by hitting one four and 2 sixes, and was dismissed by Joginder Sharma in the 15th over of Punjab's chase.
Yuvraj made his debut for India in October 2000 against Kenya in an ODI match and was an integral cog of the Indian team in the limited overs format from 2000 to 2011. After ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, Yuvraj successfully underwent chemotherapy in the USA, due to which he was out of Indian team until September 2012.
Since his return in September 2012, Yuvraj has struggled to find a permanent place in Indian team due to inconsistent performances and even missed the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 because of poor form, and last played for India in June 2017 against West Indies.
In IPL, Yuvraj has so far played for six IPL franchises and is back with the Kings XI Punjab for this year's IPL, after a long gap of eight years.
#5 Simon Katich
Former Australia batsman, Simon Katich played just two matches for Kings XI Punjab in the inaugural edition of the IPL, due to national duty, In those two matches, Katich scored 96 runs at an excellent average of 96, with a strike rate of 139.13. In Kings XI Punjab's maiden IPL match, Katich scored unbeaten 21 runs from 17 balls.
Katich played for Australia from 2001 to 2011, and was always a fringe player in the strong Australian team, getting his chances to play only when Australia's first choice batsmen were injured or rested. As a result, Katich played only 56 tests and 45 ODI matches for Australia in his international career.
In IPL, Katich played for Kings XI Punjab from 2008 to 2010 and played his last IPL against Chennai Super Kings in May 2009. Simon Katich is currently an assistant coach of Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL since 2015, apart from being the current Football Operations Manager of Greater Western Sydney Giants of the Australian Football League.
#6 Irfan Pathan
Man of the Match in the final of ICC T20 World Cup 2007 and India's famous test match win in Perth against Australia on January 2008, Irfan Pathan will go down in Indian cricketing history books as the biggest lost opportunity for Indian cricket.
When Irfan Pathan first burst onto the scene in December 2003, he impressed cricket experts and fans with his superb ability to swing the ball both ways at a good speed. His abilities were such that he was compared with the great Wasim Akram of Pakistan at such an early stage of his career, and when his batting improved in he was touted as the next Kapil Dev of Indian Cricket.
It looked like India's search for a good pace bowling all-rounder since the retirement of legendary World Cup winning captain of 1983 had ended.
Sadly, Irfan Pathan could not live up to the lofty standards he created during the early stage of his career and lost his place in Indian team due to frequent injuries he used to suffer, along with poor management, and last played for India in October 2012. Such has been Pathan's disappearance from Indian Cricket, that he was included in the list of "India's lost boys" by MP Shashi Tharoor.
In Kings XI Punjab's inaugural IPL match, Irfan Pathan did not contribute much with the bat as he came to bat in the 18th over of the Punjab innings and picked 2 wickets with the ball by conceding 47 runs in his 4 overs. Irfan Pathan had a fairly decent IPL 2008, as he scored 131 runs in 14 matches and picked up 15 wickets at a miserly economy rate of 6.6.
In IPL, Irfan Pathan has so far played for six IPL franchises and was unsold in recently concluded IPL Auction 2018 as his name was never called in the auction. Irfan Pathan is currently working as a cricket analyst and will represent Jammu and Kashmir in the domestic circuit this year.
#7 Pankaj Dharmani
Former India wicketkeeper, Pankaj Dharmani just played a solitary ODI for India against South Africa in 1996 and is a domestic veteran who played for Punjab in the domestic circuit from 1992 to 2010.
In IPL, Pankaj Dharmani played just one match in the IPL history and that solitary match was Kings XI Punjab's maiden IPL match against Chennai Super Kings. In that match, Pankaj Dharmani did not get a chance to bat.
Pankaj Dharmani retired from all forms of cricket in 2013 and is currently working as a match referee in the domestic circuit.
#8 Brett Lee
Former Australia tearaway quick, Brett Lee along with Shoaib Akhtar was regarded as one of the fastest bowlers to have ever played the game of cricket. Brett Lee played for Australia from 1999 to 2012 and was a member of Australia's World Cup winning team in 1999 and 2003, along with being a strike bowler for Australian team during his playing days in all the three formats.
In Kings XI Punjab's maiden IPL match, Brett Lee was the most economical bowler for Punjab and conceded 35 runs and picked up the wicket of Parthiv Patel. Overall in IPL 2008, Lee played just 4 matches due to national duty and picked up 4 wickets at an economy rate of 7.
In IPL apart from Kings XI Punjab, Lee also played for Kolkata Knight Riders from 2011 to 2013 and is currently working as a cricket analyst and commentator.
#9 Piyush Chawla
Discarded Indian leg spinner, Piyush Chawla did not have a good opening match for Kings XI Punjab, as he was smashed for 19 runs in his only over by Michael Hussey and Suresh Raina. Overall Piyush Chawla had a good IPL 2008, as he picked up 17 wickets in 15 matches at an economy rate of 8.30.
Piyush Chawla made his debut for India at a young age of 17 on March 2006 in a Test match against England and was a member of Indian Team that won ICC T20 World Cup 2007 and ICC ODI World Cup 2011 under MS Dhoni.
Since his debut, Chawla has failed to establish himself as a regular member of Indian team due to his inconsistent performances with the ball, and last played for India on December 2012 in a T20 match against England.
In IPL, Chawla played for Kings XI Punjab from 2008 to 2013 and is currently playing for Kolkata Knight Riders with whom he has been part of since IPL 2014. Piyush Chawla is also currently playing for Gujarat in the domestic circuit.
#10 Wilkin Mota
Former Mumbai all-rounder Wilkin Mota is another domestic veteran who did not get a chance to represent India in the international arena, despite consistent performances in the domestic circuit.
In Kings XI Punjab's maiden IPL match, Mota did not get a chance to bat and was expensive with the ball as he conceded 24 runs in 2 overs, and picked up the big wicket of Suresh Raina. Overall in IPL 2008, Wilkin Mota played just 3 matches and scored 25 runs at a poor strike rate of 96.15 with the bat and picked up just one wicket at an expensive economy rate of 12.
In IPL, Wilkin Mota only played for Kings XI Punjab from 2008 to 2009 and played for Mumbai and Tripura in the domestic circuit.
#11 S Sreesanth
Former India fast bowler, S Sreesanth on his day could win matches on his own with his fast bowling, as evident by the fact when he destroyed a strong South African batting line up in the first innings of Johannesburg Test in December 2006 for just 84 runs and picked up 5 wickets, thereby helping India win its first test match on South African soil.
Sreesanth had a good IPL 2008 and picked up 19 wickets in 15 matches at an economy rate of 8.63, finishing the tournament as the second highest wicket behind Sohail Tanvir. In Kings XI Punjab's maiden IPL match, Sreesanth did not have a good match as he conceded 35 runs in 3 overs.
Sreesanth played for India from 2005 to 2011 and was a member of Indian Team that won ICC T20 World Cup 2007 and ICC ODI World Cup 2011 under MS Dhoni. In September 2013, Sreesanth was banned for life by BCCI for his involvement in spot-fixing during IPL 2013, due to which former Indian captain Saurav Ganguly referred to Sreesanth as an absolute waste of talent.
In IPL apart from Kings XI Punjab, Sreesanth also played for now defunct Kochi Tuskers Kerala in 2011 and Rajasthan Royals in 2012 and 2013, before being banned by BCCI. After the life ban, Sreesanth tried his hands at politics unsuccessfully, apart from taking part in TV reality dance show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa in 2014, and also acted in recently released Bollywood movie Aksar 2.
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