IPL Auction 2020: How KXIP line up for the season | Best and worst buys
Kings XI Punjab had the highest budget for the IPL 2020 auction as they went into the market with INR 42.70 crore to spend. They had nine slots to fill, but with so much money to spend they could afford a few bidding wars.
While it was worth it in one or two cases, they would probably think they spent a bit too much on a couple of players. KXIP hierarchy would, however, be satisfied with the overall squad they managed to assemble for the next IPL season.
Here are the players Kings XI Punjab bought in the IPL 2020 auction
Prabhsimran Singh – INR 55 lakhs
Tajinder Singh – INR 20 lakhs
Chris Jordan – INR 3 crores
James Neesham – INR 50 lakhs
Ravi Bishnoi – INR 2 crores
Ishan Porel – INR 20 lakhs
Deepak Hooda – INR 50 lakhs
Sheldon Cottrell – INR 8.50 crores
Glenn Maxwell – INR 10.75 crores
Here is the full squad of Kings XI Punjab after the IPL 2020 auction
Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Sarfaraz Khan, Mandeep Singh, Sheldon Cottrell, Ishan Porel, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Arshdeep Singh, Hardus Viljoen, M Ashwin, J Suchith, Harpreet Brar, Darshan Nalkande, Glenn Maxwell, James Neesham, Chris Jordan, Krishnappa Gowtham, Deepak Hooda, Tajinder Singh Dhillon, KL Rahul (C), Nicholas Pooran, Prabhsimran Singh
Best Buys (Chris Jordan, James Neesham)
Chris Jordan is one of the best death bowlers in the world at the moment in T20 cricket. Not only is he capable of bowling pinpoint yorkers, he has also got the slower deliveries in his repertoire, and the control that he has got with his variations is commendable.
Even in the recently played T20I series between New Zealand and England, Jordan bowled an outstanding Super Over in the series decider to clinch the series for the Poms. He will be a vital cog in the Punjab bowling attack.
Neesham, at INR 50 lakhs, was a brilliant purchase for Punjab. He is a strong hitter of the cricket ball and is good enough to hit sixes on the biggest of the grounds.
The 29-year-old Kiwi can also bowl his full quota of four overs on surfaces like Mohali, which always have a bit of carry and bounce. He is tall, and if the surface offers him something, he can hit the back of a length area consistently and create trouble for the batsmen.
Worst Buy (Sheldon Cottrell)
Sheldon Cottrell has done well in white-ball cricket for West Indies of late, but INR 8.50 crores is way too high a price for him. He has got a good skill-set as he can swing the new ball back into the right-handers at a decent pace, but he is really inconsistent and erratic. While he can nail it in a few games, he can go for plenty in the others.
Cottrell, at this stage of his career, is not somebody who can be relied upon to deliver on a consistent basis. Spending that high an amount on him was probably not the wisest decision KXIP made in the auction.