Kings XI Punjab is one of the least successful teams in the Indian Premier League. Out of the twelve previous editions, they have reached the top four only twice and finished at the bottom position thrice. They had a big overhaul in the squad couple of seasons back and included big names like KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, and Glenn Maxwell. There was some individual brilliance in the last two seasons, most notably from KL Rahul, their captain for this season, but overall, the team failed to deliver consistently and could not reach the play-off. They would hope that the condition in the UAE will suit their big-hitters and young spinners. Let’s take a look at the Strength and Weakness of Kings XI Punjab in UAE for IPL 2020.
KXIP 2020 Squad
KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Sarfaraz Khan, Mandeep Singh, Sheldon Cottrell, Ishan Porel, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Arshdeep Singh, Hardus Viljoen, M Ashwin, J Suchith, Harpreet Brar, Darshan Nalkande, Glenn Maxwell, James Neesham, Chris Jordan, Krishnappa Gowtham, Deepak Hooda, Tajinder Singh Dhillon, Nicholas Pooran, Prabhsimran Singh.
Strength and Weakness of Kings XI Punjab in UAE
Overseas Superstars
Chris Gayle may not be the same player he was five years back the ‘Universe Boss’ still has enough fire to lead a successful campaign. He has opted out from the CPL and reached UAE fresh and in good spirits. Nicolas Pooran, Mujeeb ur Rahman and Sheldon Cottrell will come straight from the CPL and all of them are in pretty good nick. Glenn Maxwell is another key foreigner for them who is currently in England playing the T20 International and ODI series against the hosts. Chris Jordan is also playing in the series and one of the key players for England with his death bowling skills. Once everyone is available it will be a tough decision for the team management to decide the last two overseas spots in the first eleven along with Gayle and Maxwell.
Indian Options
Along with Rahul, they also have quite a few young Indian batsmen like Mayank Agarwal, Mandeep Singh, Karun Nair, and Sarfaraz Khan. All of them will look to have a strong season to be near the selection for the Indian national team. Mohammed Shami will lead the fast bowling pack with exciting talents like Ishan Porel and Ashdeep Singh. Ravi Ashwin’s departure is a big blow for the spin bowling department. Krishnappa Gowtham and Murugan Ashwin will be the preferred choices. The Indian Under-19 leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi is a brilliant prospect and should play quite a few matches in the helpful conditions of UAE.
Best XI for Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2020
KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Mandeep Singh, Glenn Maxwell, Sarfaraz Khan, Krishnappa Gowtham, Chris Jordan, Mohammad Shami, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Murugan Ashwin.
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