KXIP out to prove themselves in IPL 2019

Having never won the Indian Premier League (IPL) title, Kings XI Punjab will aim to claim the title for the first time in the 2019 edition of the lucrative Twenty20 tournament.

The 2018 squad of Kings XI Punjab included Indian and international stars like Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuvraj Singh, Lokesh Rahul, Aaron Finch and Chris Gayle.

They have retained these stars for this year's tournament as well.

Perennial under-achievers in the IPL, KXIP entered the play-offs during the first edition in 2008 and the final in 2014.

But three consecutive poor campaigns in 2015, 2016 and 2017 prompted the team owners to overhaul the entire squad, retaining only spinner Axar Patel.

One of the areas where KXIP have made major changes is their opening and top order combinations. They now have a host of options in Chris Gayle, Lokesh Rahul, Aaron Finch, Karun Nair and Mayank Agarwal.

They also have a strong middle-order comprising veteran star Yuvraj Singh, David Miller and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis.

KXIP also has a strong Indian contingent which is one of the basic requirements for success in the IPL.

In Stoinis, they have an all-rounder who can single-handedly decide the course of a match on his day.

So overall, KXIP have a strong squad who have the potential to make a difference in the upcoming IPL edition. It remains to be seen whether they can live up to the promise.

--IANS

ajb/bg