There are different types of teams and players in the game of cricket. There are a few who have some good talent in them but aren't consistent enough. Kings XI Punjab seems to satisfy that condition. They never had a stable marquee player in their team and their fan base kept on fluctuating just as their performance in IPL seasons. KXIP have had some good seasons wherein they have topped the group table but have never been able to have a hand on the trophy. They reached the finals in 2014 but finished at the bottom of the table for the following two seasons.
We are here with a series of IPL Dream Teams wherein we will be making All Time XIs of the current eight teams in IPL. During this venture, I am being assisted by Raunit Raj and Amit Vikram Singh who have immense knowledge in the field of cricket. We have gone through every player of each team and tried to pick the best of the lot after considering their statistics and performances for the team. We started with Mumbai Indians and now bring to you the All Time XI of Kings XI Punjab.
*Statistics of the players are only for their Kings XI Punjab career (both in IPL and Champions League)
1. KL Rahul (wk) (2018- )
Rahul has a very young career at Kings XI, but his performance in these two years makes him find a place in this XI. We all know about Rahul's talent and his ability to bat in any format of the game and that makes him an obvious choice here. For KXIP, Rahul averages above 54 scoring over 1200 runs in just 28 games.
Innings: 28 Runs: 1252 Average: 54.43 S/R*: 146.6
*S/R - Strike Rate
2. Chris Gayle ✈️ (2018- )
The Universe Boss is undoubtedly the best T20 Player in the world. He too has a very short career at Punjab but his performance is better than his contenders. His strike rate of 150 and average of 40 makes him comfortable at the opening spot above Adam Gilchrist and Manan Vohra. We all know that once he gets going there is no way to stop him. Gayle in himself is a key to success.
Innings: 24 Runs: 858 Average: 40.85 S/R: 150.26
3. Shaun Marsh ✈️ (2008-17)
Marsh stands out as the only player who has scored more than 2000 runs for the franchise. Considering his ability, he can provide the stability that is needed by a player at No. 3. Marsh had won the Orange Cap in the inaugural season of IPL wherein he was the only player to get past 600 runs.
Innings: 69 Runs: 2477 Average: 39.95 S/R: 132.74
4. Yuvraj Singh (c) (2008-10, 2018)
Yuvraj Singh was the marquee player for Punjab when IPL started back in 2008. Punjab under his captaincy reached the semi-finals and eventually lost there. His ability to hit big shots round the park is well known. He has also taken two hat tricks with KXIP. His all round skills and experience pits him above Mandeep Singh and Wriddhiman Saha.
Innings: 48 Runs: 959 Average: 22.3 S/R: 127.86
5. Glenn Maxwell ✈️ (2014-17)
Maxwell was an important member of the Punjab Squad which reached the finals in 2014. He had the most number of sixes in that season and had an incredible strike rate of 187 in the same. He stands third in the list of highest run getters for KXIP. He can even chip in with some overs in the middle.
Innings: 56 Runs: 1275 Average: 25 S/R: 165.36
6. David Miller ✈️ (2012- )
Miller has been one of the international players who has stayed with Punjab for so long. He can act as a perfect finisher in any team. His fielding skill is one of the best in the world and his experience in this format can be used wisely. His strike rate for KXIP is just below 140 while averaging 35.
Innings: 82 Runs: 1974 Average: 35.25 S/R: 139.4
7. Irfan Pathan (2008-10)
Irfan Pathan can be one of the most impactful all rounders in this format of the game. He can give you 4 overs in every game and even bat anywhere in the order which makes him a very valuable player. He has the ability to swing the ball in the first half of the innings. For KXIP, he has taken 47 wickets and scored over 600 runs in three seasons.
Innings: 35 Runs: 603 S/R: 131.08 Wickets: 47
8. Axar Patel (2014-18)
Another Indian all rounder who didn't have a competition for his place in this team. Axar Patel can bowl economically and take wickets too. He can even provide decent hitting at the end. He has scored at a strike rate of 130 for the franchise.
Innings: 53 Runs: 740 S/R: 130.05 Wickets: 69
9. Piyush Chawla (2008-13)
Piyush Chawla has the highest number of Wickets for Kings XI Punjab. World Cup winner Chawla can bat as well creating a lot of depth in the batting line-up. Talking about his bowling, the leg spinner has some mystery balls which may trouble the batsmen.
Matches: 87 Wickets: 84 E/R*: 7.52
*E/R - Economy Rate
10. Sandeep Sharma (2013-17)
Sandeep Sharma has the second highest wickets for KXIP and is a no brainer in this eleven. He can swing the ball during the start and can bowl beautifully in death.
Matches: 56 Wickets: 71 E/R: 7.77
11. Parvinder Awana (2012-14)
Parvinder Awana has never been a player who has come to the limelight and been regarded as a good player. He has even represented India twice in T20Is and his performance wasn't good enough there. But for KXIP, he makes the cut above the likes of Mohammad Shami, Mohit Sharma, Shreesanth and Praveen Kumar. He has a wonderful bowling average of 24 which can be considered as a very good one in T20 Cricket.
Matches: 38 Wickets: 48 E/R: 8.39
Do tell us if you have had any other player in mind who might have found a place in the XI. This is the second one of our IPL Dream Team Series. We have a lot coming up. Stay Tuned. Keep Reading Openions!
- Kshitij
Comments
Post a Comment