Why Kings XI Punjab is the team to watch out for at VIVO IPL 2018

#4 New faces and a new approach

Brad Hodge - KXIP's new coach

The Kings have seen a massive overhaul not only to their playing squad, but the backroom and coaching staff as well. Ravichandran Ashwin was appointed captain, in what could prove to be a masterstroke, as Ashwin is an intelligent, thinking cricketer who has undoubtedly learned from playing under the best captains in the business.

A new head coach in Brad Hodge, who was a seriously talented, if not underrated, limited-overs batsman and captain himself, and a completely new and all Indian backroom staff come in. With serious investment in Ashwin, Axar Patel and Mujeeb Zadran, the Kings’ focus has markedly shifted to spin, which could be the major difference between this and previous KXIP squads.

They also opted to include in their squad a number of players who have previous captaincy experience, which can only aid Ashwin and the team in taking tough yet important on and off-field decisions.