The Kings XI Punjab have been the perennial under-achievers in the IPL. They started well in 2008 where they made it into the top four and then another brilliant one in 2014, where they entered the finals for the very first time under George Bailey’s leadership. But, just as it seemed, the franchise had finally settled itself as three unsuccessful stints followed in 2015, 2016 and 2017, forcing the team owners to retain just Axar Patel and start again with a clean slate.
1. Monstrous opening batsmen
Amongst the sea of changes that KXIP has made to their squad, one thing that immediately demands attention is the sea of opening-pair combinations that they have at their disposal. KXIP have perennially struggled with opening combinations over the years but this season they have multiple options in Chris Gayle, KL Rahul, Aaron Finch, Karun Nair, and the wonder boy of the 2017-18 domestic season, Mayank Agarwal.
2. Powerful Middle order
Apart from a sea of options at the top of the order, KXIP boasts of a powerful middle-order. In Aaron Finch, Yuvraj Singh, David Miller, and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis, Punjab have some of the breathtaking power hitters in the game currently.
3. Skillful young Indian talent
If we observe the most successful franchises over the ten years of the IPL, amongst the plethora of different reasons for their success. In Nair, Rahul, Agarwal, Manoj Tiwary, and Axar Patel (the only player to be retained by the franchise), the Kings have managed to assemble an enviable core of local Indian players and it might just prove to be fillip that propels the team to glory this time around.
4. X-Factor skipper
Under the leadership of R Ashwin, Kings XI Punjab look very strong in every department. One thing that differentiates a good team from a champion unit is the presence of an X-Factor in the side.