IPL 2019 | KXIP not just top heavy, but well balanced this year, says Mike Hesson

03/28/2019

Mike Hesson has stated that his side Kings XI Punjab are not top heavy like the previous year’s team, but they have a balanced batting lineup this year, going in till number 6. The coach also justified the multiple changes in the playing eleven in his team’s match against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Kings XI Punjab had started their Indian Premier League Campaign with a bang last year as they won five out of their first six matches, but fizzled out in the later half as they could only manage one win in the remaining eight matches. A reason for this was the Ravichandran Ashwin-led side’s batting heavy top order consisting of KL Rahul and Chris Gayle, which lacked the muscle in the middle order, with batsmen like Karun Nair, Yuvraj Singh and Aaron Finch among others, who went through a lean phase in the previous season.

However, in the two matches so far, the middle order has pitched in with fifties from David Miller and Mayank Agarwal, and notable contributions from Sarfaraz Khan and Mandeep Singh.

"For the previous years you could say so [that KXIP is top-heavy] but not now. First two games, we've got runs from the top 6. Mayank, Sarfaraz got runs in the last game, Mandeep has played a couple of cameos and obviously David has come in and played a role. I think that statement is not true for the current team," said KXIP coach Mike Hesson, reported India Today.

The Punjab-based franchise made as many as four changes in their lineup for the second match at Kolkata. Chris Gayle was the only overseas player who played from the first match. Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who scalped two crucial wickets in the previous game was dropped. Sam Curran, who made a fantastic comeback in the final over of his quota, was also dropped, while Nicholas Pooran, who was injured, made way for Miller. Bowlers Varun Chakravarthy and Hardus Viljoen made their debut for the franchise, and Andrew Tye also played his first match of the season.

"Nicholas Pooran got injured so that was a change straight-up and then David Miller is a very important player for us. We felt on that surface someone who was able to bowl back of a length like Hardus was the way to go and Hardus bowled really nicely. These were the two big changes and then Andrew Tye coming in, we had to make the decision of our overseas players which is why Varun came in instead of Mujeeb,” said the 44-year-old.

"We have got to adapt to different conditions and the other things is if we want to go to the back end of the IPL, we are going to have to use our squad well so we're not gonna go unchanged, we will adapt to different conditions,” he added

The former New Zealand coach also defended his team’s decision to give the second over of the innings to leg spinner Chakravarthy, who was hit for 25 runs in that over, courtesy three maximums and a boundary from Sunil Narine.

"It wasn't so much about Narine. Lynn was on strike at the start of that over and that was a match-up we were looking for. But then Narine came on strike and was able to take it all. But Varun, it's his first game and he's nervous like anyone who has played his first game. I thought the way he came back in the second and third over was excellent and that will give him and us a lot of confidence.

"When you are playing your first game in front of a crowd like this, it's difficult and Narine obviously is gonna hit from ball one. If he would have got a few deliveries up front against Lynn, he would have settled quicker but I was very pleased with the way he came back.”

Mohammed Shami bowled a fine yorker at 138 kmph to rattle Andre Russell’s stumps, but the umpire signalled a no ball, as only three fielders were present in the 30-yard circle. The big-hitting all-rounder made full use of the opportunity as he smashed 48 runs off 17 deliveries, taking KKR’s total to 218, the highest ever total in a T20 match at the Eden Gardens.

"I think the game changed in the 17th over. We had a plan to Russell which we executed well and obviously we weren't quite alert in the field and the game changed and it's a fine line when you bowl to Andre Russell. He's a game changer and obviously we had a little bit jubilation when we got the things right but things changed pretty quickly," Hesson concluded.

Kings XI Punjab will next take on Mumbai Indians on March 30 at their home ground of Mohali.