A week or two ago, Kings XI Punjab were on the brink of elimination from IPL 2020. Everyone had almost left the hopes on the team because of the way they were losing the games. However, the comeback is always stronger and Kings XI Punjab proved so. From the bottom of the table, they leap-frogged the teams and are in the fifth position. They are fighting with Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad for a spot in the playoffs. In the due course, Kings XI Punjab are up against Kolkata Knight Riders at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Monday.
With the arrival of Chris Gayle, the batting line-up looks completely different. Nicholas Pooran has been a standout player in the middle order where every other batsman is failing to leave his impression. The way Kings XI Punjab defended a tricky 126 was completely fabulous. The team will look to perform once again on Monday against Kolkata Knight Riders who have also pulled their way back to the playoff race.
Despite the consistency in the wins, Kings XI Punjab have a worry or two. Mayank Agarwal was left out in the previous game as he was injured whereas the middle-order is not really clicking. Glenn Maxwell once again failed on Saturday. The over-reliance on KL Rahul is set to cost the match for Kings XI Punjab someday. The team will be hoping that the day never comes in the ongoing edition of IPL 2020.
Here are the top three picks for Kings XI Punjab against Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday at Sharjah Cricket Stadium:
#1) KL Rahul
The costliest signing of Kings XI Punjab and the captain of the team, KL Rahul has perfectly handled his captaincy role in the second half of the tournament. After failing to get going in the first half, KL Rahul has burdened the duty of carrying the team on his back to the playoffs. His consistency and impressive performances have confirmed his spot to the “Tour Down Under” and will look to win the Orange Cap again in IPL.
Keeping the dream alive! 😍#SaddaPunjab #IPL2020 #KXIP @klrahul11 pic.twitter.com/eDKiPY2ayz
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) October 26, 2020
In the current edition of IPL, he has 567 runs to his name with one century and five half-centuries. If the team has to win against KKR, KL Rahul has a big role to play. He will be one of the top three picks for KXIP at batsmen friendly Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
#2) Chris Jordan
The English international was going for runs and his place in the team was on and off. In the 11 games played by KXIP, Chris Jordan has played only six games. However, in those six games, despite leaking the runs at an economy of 9.71, Chris Jordan has five wickets in his kitty. Out of the five, three came against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the previous game.
In the previous game, Chris Jordan was impressive with the ball. He not only removed the wickets but also controlled the run flow. His figures read 17/3 in four overs. He will be one of the top three picks for KXIP against KKR on Monday.
#3) Arshdeep Singh
After an impressive stint in the U-19 World Cup held in New Zealand, the left-arm fast bowler was raked in by the Kings XI Punjab for the 2019 season. Though he wasn’t utilized to the core, the player was given few games in 2019. The team management’s idea to retain the player has yielded rich dividends in UAE. The player has nine wickets from six games at an economy of 8.36. The performance in the previous game against Sunrisers Hyderabad will make the player as one of the top three picks for the game against KKR at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
