Squad: Complete list of players in KXIP team for IPL 2019
With star players and a good combination of experienced and young blood, Kings XI Punjab have had everything they have required to become champions, however, they haven't qualified for the playoffs since 2014.
After making it to the finals in the seventh edition of IPL, the Preity Zinta-owned team produced disappointing performances in the following years despite trying out several combinations.
Last year as well, under the captaincy of Ravichandran Ashwin, Punjab finished second from bottom, forcing the owners to make quite a few changes for the upcoming season.
The franchise bought some exciting names in the auction as they target a first ever IPL trophy. Let's see how their squad looks for IPL 2019.
Batsmen and wicket-keepers
Openers - Kl Rahul, Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal
Middle-order batsmen - Karun Nair, Mandeep Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, David Miller, Simran Singh
Wicket-keeper - Nicholas Pooran
With the likes of Chris Gayle and KL Rahul at the top, Punjab have one of the best opening combinations in the IPL. Rahul played some scintillating knocks last year while Gayle also contributed in a few matches. Agarwal is the third opener, however, he can bat at number three as well if needed.
In the middle-order, Punjab have various Indian options although they do lack overseas fire-power. The newcomers in the team, Mandeep Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, and Simran Singh, will complement the likes of David Miller and Karun Nair, who have been around for a while.
The addition of Caribbean wicket-keeper batsman, Nicholas Pooran was one of the smarter picks by Punjab in the auction. The southpaw has shown a lot of promise in various leagues and will look to further his reputation with a strong showing in the IPL.