IPL 2018: KXIP vs KKR, Kings XI Punjab's probable playing XI vs Kolkata Knight Riders
Perennial underachievers in the IPL, the Kings XI Punjab are finally looking like the side to beat this year, having assembled a plethora of match-winning T20 players in its ranks.
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In the top-four of the points table, their next assignment is against the Kolkata Knight Riders. Here's what the lineup might look like:
How do you keep Chris Gayle away from the IPL? He's done it before, he did it again - 21 T20 centuries later, there's no denying who's the Universe Boss. He will certainly keep his place at the top, after a fifty and a hundred in his first two games.
After being offloaded by the RCB, KL Rahul has found his new home to be fairly productive - in their first game, he blasted the fastest fifty ever in the IPL and has provided brisk starts ever since. Keeping adds more to his job description at Punjab.
Domestic cricket's shining light, burning bright, Mayank Agarwal is not new to the IPL at all, having been playing the tournament since 2010. His prowess in the domestic circuit, a record-breaking run of form, has not been translated into the IPL yet, but trust him to come good when required.
Although nostalgia runs high in their ranks, the Punjab side might be tempted to drop Yuvraj Singh in favour of Manoj Tiwary - the former has looked completely out of depth in the tournament so far, and has looked like one of the weak links in the side, including a few fielding gaffes in the last game.
Aaron Finch had the worst possible start to the tournament, with two ducks to go, but the Australian is a proven T20 star, and can change the game in a matter of overs, often sticking around to play long innings. The only concern is that he is playing way lower down the order than what he is accustomed to.
Much like Finch, Karun Nair is also a top order batsman who has been filling the Punjab middle order. That hasn't stopped him from playing some quick cameos in the middle, that started off with his 50 in the first game.
With new team has come new vigour, and master tactician Ravichandran Ashwin has impressed one and all with his astute captaincy, highlighted the most during their narrow win against the Chennai Super Kings. His switch to leg spin is still the talk of the town.
It's not easy being Andrew Tye - the expectations run so high, that the 'T20 specialist' tag expects you to have a good day everyday and pick wickets in bucketfuls. He's been on and off, but can change the match completely with one deadly spell, as he has done in the past.
While his Team India appearances are restricted to the odd series against Zimbabwe, Barinder Sran has been quietly doing his job with the new ball, keeping things tight when required. He creates an interesting angle to the right-handers from over the wicket, and can be quite a handful during the powerplays.
Mohit Sharma showed his wealth of experience during the CSK game, coming back strongly after getting the stick from Dhoni to stifle the former India captain in the final over and steal the game away. His variations have bamboozled the best of batsmen.
If you can get Virat Kohli out as a teenager, you have some serious talent. And Mujeeb Ur Rahman has displayed just that - his finger spin has been a treat to watch. Although he hasn't managed to pick a lot of wickets, he has kept things tight in the middle overs and is the X-factor that could make the difference in the Punjab line-up.
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