IPL 2020: Can Kings XI Punjab buck the trend and surprise everyone this season? | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Kings XI Punjab is one of the few IPL franchises who always look good on paper prior to the start of the season, but somehow don’t manage to deliver the goods when it matters the most.
The Punjab team has always had some top players in their ranks, but they somehow lost the plot in most of the editions of the IPL, except on two occasions when they made it to the semis in the inaugural 2008 season and finished runners-up in 2014 after losing to KKR in the final.
IPL 2020: FULL LEAGUE STAGE SCHEDULE
THE RECORD SO FAR
It’s been five years since their runners-up finish in 2014 and they have yet to make it to the playoffs. KXIP is one of only three teams, along with RCB and Delhi Capitals, who are yet to lay their hands on the IPL trophy.
They are a team who the experts don’t really back to go all the way at the beginning of a season, but thanks to the fickle nature of T20 cricket, a string of good performances can turn their fortunes around.

STRENGTHS
NEW CAPTAIN, NEW LUCK? Dashing India opener KL Rahul will lead the KXIP after Ravichandran Ashwin was traded for Delhi Capitals’ Jagadeesha Suchith last year. It will be interesting to see how Rahul goes about his captaincy duties, especially considering he is one of the key batsmen in the team
NEW RECRUITS LOOK GOOD – Punjab bought the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Sheldon Cottrell, James Neesham, Deepak Hooda, Ravi Bishnoi, Chris Jordan and young pacer Ishan Porel. Maxwell’s inclusion is sure to bolster their middle order. Cotrell and Neesham meanwhile will shore up their pace bowling attack.
THE GAYLE FACTOR – It’s no secret that Chris Gayle can turn a game on its head single-handedly. Though consistency is a problem, if he finds his rhythm early, Punjab will be a big threat. The Gayle and Rahul opening partnership could be a huge factor as far as their fortunes this season are concerned

THE BOWLERS – Experienced Mohammed Shami will lead the pace attack along with Cottrell and Hardus Viljoen, while young Bishnoi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and mystery bowler Murugan Ashwin bring in the right mix of spin for the team
TON OF EXPERIENCE IN COACHING STAFF – With Anil Kumble as their head coach and Jonty Rhodes as fielding coach the team has two great cricketing brains as part of their set-up. Apart from Kumble and Rhodes, they also have the services of Wasim Jaffer and Sunil Joshi as their batting and spin bowling coaches respectively whose wealth of experience will also be a valuable asset for the team.
THE CHALLENGES:
CLICKING AS ONE UNIT – Their main weakness has been to come together and click as one unit. More often than not there have been standout individual performances. This time they need to change that.
INCONSISTENT PERFORMANCES – The team needs to become a consistent performer. The teams who have won IPL titles have done it on the back of consistent performances. Punjab, over the years haven’t managed to string together too many winning runs. They finished seventh in 2018 and sixth last season in 2019.
KINGS XI PUNJAB FULL SQUAD:
KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Mohammed Shami, Nicholas Pooran, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Chris Gayle, Mandeep Singh, Mayank Agarwal, Hardus Viljoen, Darshan Nalkande, Sarfaraz Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Murugan Ashwin, K Gowtham, J Suchith, Glenn Maxwell, Sheldon Cottrell, Deepak Hooda, Ishan Porel, Ravi Bishnoi, James Neesham, Chris Jordan, Tajinder Dhillon, Prabhsimran Singh, Harpreet Brar.