If there is one thing to be said about Kings XI Punjab –They are pure entertainers.
They have a mystery spinner from Afghanistan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who is one of the most talented young cricketers in the world. Then they have Ravi Ashwin, their captain, and one of the most successful cricketers to have played for India.
Yes, they have KL Rahul, who you may argue has never lived up to his potential. But Rahul has done pretty well in the IPL. It is in this tournament that he really became famous. His brilliant 14-ball 50 in the first IPL game of 2018 cannot be forgotten in a hurry.
But their biggest star is without question the Universe Boss. Who else, but Chris Gayle. There has never been a more destructive batsman than Gayle in modern day cricket.
He is, in many ways, reminiscent of how Sir Viv Richards used to be. Well, most of us were too young to appreciate the great Viv Richards when he played. But at least, we have been fortunate enough to watch Chris Gayle in action. That guy is the main draw. When he bats, the world watches.
But how far can this team really go? Kings XI Punjab are a team that are known to blow hot and cold – that’s understandable when you have Chris Gayle in your squad.
Gayle is the sort of player who can destroy any bowling attack when in the mood. But there are occasions when he is completely listless. When Gayle fails to perform, his team usually loses, because so much attention is focused on him.
It’s no surprise that RCB, for whom Gayle played for several years, have never won the IPL. We don’t really expect Kings XI Punjab to do much either.
For sure, Ravichandran Ashwin is a smart and innovative captain who makes the best of what he has got. He is backed by Mike Hesson, the former manager of the New Zealand cricket team and considered one of the finest cricketing brains. But it’s not going to be so easy this time.
Why? Beyond the players we spoke about, there really isn’t much to Kings XI Punjab. They have Mohammed Shami, one of India’s best fast bowlers. But Shami always does better when he plays for India than when he puts on the colors of an IPL team. He is known to underperform in every IPL.
Andrew Tye is the other medium pacer they have, but isn’t he in his mid-30s now? David Miller has been a part of the Kings XI squad for years, but he is someone who has failed to fulfill his potential.
Kings XI Punjab Starting XI: Chris Gayle, KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Mandeep Singh, Sam Curran, R Ashwin, Varun Chakravarthy, Andrew Tye, Mohammed Shami, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Others in the squad: David Miller, Simran Singh, Nicholas Pooran, Sarfaraz Khan, Murugan Ashwin, Ankit Rajpoot, Hardus Viljoen, Arshdeep Singh, Moises Henriques, Darshan Nalkande, Agnivesh Ayachi, Harpreet Brar
Prediction: May make it to the semi-finals at best. No chance of winning the IPL 2019.
