IPL 2021: Skipper KL Rahul joins Punjab Kings squad
Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain KL Rahul has arrived in Mumbai to team up with the rest of the squad ahead of the 14th edition of the IPL.
Punjab Kings' official Twitter account posted a picture of the wicketkeeper-batsman with the caption: "The most essential part of #SaddaSquad is here. Tuhadda swagat hai, #CaptainPunjab"
Punjab Kings will lock horns with Rajasthan Royals in their opening encounter of the season on April 12 in Mumbai. The Punjab-based outfit are set to play their first three games at the Wankhede Stadium before shifting base to Chennai.
Even though PBKS missed out on the playoffs last season, KL Rahul had a fruitful IPL, finishing as the season's top scorer. The opener amassed 670 runs in 14 games at an average of 55.83, including five half-centuries and a hundred.
KL Rahul had a dismal outing against England in the T20I series, which India won 3-2. The Karnataka batsman registered scores of 1,0,0 & 14 in four games before he was dropped for the final encounter of the series. Rahul, though, came roaring back to form in the ODI series against the same opponents, smashing a hundred and a fifty.
"Everyone will see an aggressive KL Rahul for sure" - Wasim Jaffer
Punjab Kings' batting coach Wasim Jaffer recently announced that fans will see a more aggressive KL Rahul in the upcoming season of the IPL. Last season, the 28-year-old batted with a strike rate of 129.35. Jaffer explained that the Indian batsman had to take a slightly conservative approach given his team's misfiring middle order.
"KL batted a little timidly last season. He probably batted deeper because there was not much batting after No. 5, and Glenn Maxwell was not firing. He took that responsibility on himself to try and stay at the crease and get the job done. This time around, everyone will see an aggressive KL Rahul for sure," Jaffer said in an interaction with the Times of India.
Despite ending the last campaign on a high, the Punjab franchise missed out on the playoffs as they finished sixth. Punjab Kings will hope to start their new campaign on the right note after winning only once in their first seven encounters last season. The KL Rahul-led team are still in search of their first IPL title.