IPL 2018 | Strong batting, wobbly bowling, and tremendous dependency on R Ashwin - KXIP analysis

IPL 2018 | Strong batting, wobbly bowling, and tremendous dependency on R Ashwin - KXIP analysis

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Since IPL’s inception, Kings XI Punjab’s have mostly had a star-studded side, which has helped them get good crowd support in Mohali despite their hot and cold form and lack of title. But, with only 3 games scheduled in Mohali this season, KXIP have to keep their support intact with solid displays.

When it comes to Kings XI Punjab’s chances of winning the IPL, your guess is as good as mine. The vociferous Mohali has seen numerous cricketing stalwarts taking the turf over the last decade, but apart from the 2014 side of George Bailey that had stormed away every side to reach the final, no side could really show any promise whatsoever.

Punjab was bound to go for a revamp after not being able to reach the playoffs last season. But, as exciting as a renovation sounds, it is equally dangerous for a side that had previously found a balanced squad. The Preity Zinta-owned franchise decided to retain just one player ahead of the mega-auction - Axar Patel, which had hinted at their need for all-rounders. But, quite surprisingly, the KXIP didn’t go for any other all-rounder other than Marcus Stoinis at the auctions.

Punjab’s squad looks ostentatious with a heady blend of budding Indian talents and overseas stars and there is no doubt they have all the ingredients to win the league, but shedding the ‘inconsistent’ tag would be their primary target. And what better way to clarify their intentions than naming “Mr. Dependable” as their new captain.

The fact that Ravichandran Ashwin’s buy wasn’t pre-planned makes it difficult for the player to know his side’s strength well, which wasn’t the case with David Warner, Steven Smith, Gautam Gambhir or even Rohit Sharma. The management had a long discussion with their captains and pre-retained players about the primary and secondary targets at the auction, which helped them envisage their strategy.

Now, Punjab have a star too many and it could be seen right from the very beginning. Having someone like Chris Gayle is really dicey. While not playing him would give the management of feeling missing something huge, playing him also has this frustrating chance of seeing him fail. However, Gayle’s inconsistency isn’t the only huge gamble that brews in the Kings’ camp. His inclusion also disrupts the balance of four overseas players - Aaron Finch, David Miller, Marcus Stoinis, and Andrew Tye - who are unputdownable for Punjab.

Experimenting their roles and positions would take time and it is then that the likes of Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul and more importantly Yuvraj Singh, have to fire regularly. Apart from KL Rahul’s start-stop career in national colors since a year, the batsman had really notched it up last IPL season with 397 runs in 14 games that included four fifties. And as far as Mayank is concerned, he has been the most sought-after domestic name this season with a whopping 2,232 runs under his belt. 

Punjab’s biggest strength is bench, which has Karun Nair and Manoj Tiwary ready to step in at any given time. Their batting arsenal is brimming with talents and Virender Sehwag and Co. will have a tough task getting the right combo as early as possible, upon which their success hinges this season.

However, Punjab is not only a batting-heavy side. The management did brilliantly pick up some full-proven bowling names during the auction, who have both experience and figures to back their price tag - Ashwin, Andrew Tye, and Mohit Sharma. Mohali has always been a pacer-friendly venue, which explains KXIP’s inclination towards more fast bowlers. But, given that they would also be playing four matches in the batting-friendly Holkar Stadium, spinners would seem quintessential. And it is here that KXIP could suffer massively. Apart from Ashwin, KXIP’s only good option is the Afghanistan prodigy, Mujeeb Zadran, and to accommodate him would most likely lead to the sacrifice of openers Finch and Gayle.

This Achilles heel could have been solved by another good all-rounder in the side, which KXIP failed to get. And this could end up being the biggest reason for Punjab’s downfall yet again. Despite having big names, Punjab don’t know how title-winning is done. How many times have we seen KXIP piling up huge totals only to lose by courtesy of pathetic bowling? They haven’t made an effort finding a dilemma this season either.

However, Punjab have tried to solve this by bringing in a leader in Ravichandran Ashwin- someone who has closely worked with both MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. Ashwin could also be counted as an all-rounder given the variety of shots he has up his sleeves. The onus will eventually be on him to take the side home and build a legacy on the shoulders of a star-studded squad.

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