IPL 2019 | SWOT Analysis - Kings XI Punjab
One of the less-valued teams in the Indian Premier League, Kings XI Punjab’s lack of fan base can be contributed to the lack of a core team in order to attract the local fans. On the cricketing front, KXIP have been undone for a number of reasons which could have been controlled with proper vision.
Just ahead of the auction, Kings XI Punjab decided to part ways with Virender Sehwag and hired Mike Hesson as the coach to centralise the team selection power to one man. Hesson comes with an impressive CV as a coach and was known to be a fine tactician during his tenure as the coach of the New Zealand team. With Ravichandran Ashwin at the helm, it will be an interesting combination for the franchise, which has never been able to punch above their weight despite having some of the biggest names of the T20 cricket.
One of the reasons could be their complacency in the second half of the tournament which negates all the good work done in the first half, more often than not. In 2014, the team, powered by the combine of David Miller and Glenn Maxwell, performed well above the expectations to reach the finals, but in other seasons, their performances have dwindled to such a level that they've been unable to create a face for their team, shuffled the squad and the coaching set-up several times, and even failed to fill up their stadiums.
The fresh season gives them hope of different sorts. They parted ways with the sentiments and instead of hiring players on their reputations, they did their homework and went for utility players who can give them the stability they need at the moment.
Strengths
Punjab’s pre-tournament strategies worked towards giving the team a different direction in the first half of the league phase last year, only to be frittered away in the second half of the league. The regular change in the team combination and the decision to go with a completely different team strategy to check other teams was the primary reason for their downfall. However, at times, the biggest mistake can be the biggest learning. It is up to Punjab to learn from those mistakes and formulate a strategy that would work on to their strengths. Hesson acted a commentator for the host broadcaster and closely followed all the games, which will keep him in good stead during the league.
Last year, it was Andrew Tye who did all the dirty work for the Mohali-based franchise, but a lack of proper pacer to help him out, Punjab had to undergo a massive temperamental problem. Mohammed Shami can be that bowler for the Ravichandran Ashwin-led side and after his recent performances, there is no doubt about his ability. Nicolas Pooran adds depth to the batting order, which was in a desperate need of firepower to support KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, and Chris Gayle at the top. In the form of Mujeeb Ur Rahman, they have a T20 superstar in the making, who can not only be a huge support to Ravichandran
Weakness
Kings XI Punjab are not in good terms with Punjab Cricket Association and after a long experiment of adopting Dharamsala as their second home, they have now moved to Indore whose boundary-size is a shame for the bowlers. The fact that Punjab’s bowlers are more likely to be hit - their bowlers’ record suggests that - it will be a problem for the team. Could they afford to play both Ashwin and Mujeeb in the same game like the way they did last year, one doing the holding job and the other picking wickets? It is an effective strategy, but for that, their batsmen first need to give a good total on the board.
The franchise spent crores for U19 star Prabhsimran Singh who has just had a terrible Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, in which he scored 92 runs form six innings among which one included a 54. Sarfaraz Khan has been hot and cold in the IPL over the years, and can never be trusted to provide the finishing touch to the innings. The weak middle-order puts a lot of pressure on the top-order, if by chance, they fail to deliver, there is no chance Punjab will be able to recover.
Opportunities
It is the unpredictability factor that Kings XI Punjab can use to their advantage. The team is filled with players who haven’t played that much against top teams and in the proper utilisation of these players lies the management’s biggest challenges, or in otherwise, a prospect of performing well too. Considering the fact that the franchise will have less fan pressure than the other teams, they can play with free spirits.
Threats
While the franchise can pride themselves with the fact that they have acquired a strong domestic Indian unit, will it actually help them in the long run? PrabhSimran Singh impressed in his first India Under-19 appearance but gradually failed to fire in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20. While Abinash Ayachi is still an untested entity, Kings XI Punjab
The squad: KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Andrew Tye, Mayank Agarwal, Ankit Rajpoot, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Karun Nair, David Miller and Ravichandran Ashwin, Mandeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Sam Curran, Mohammed Shami, Prabhsimran Singh, Nicolas Pooran, Moises Henriques, Hardus Viljoen, Darshan
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