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Kings XI Punjab to ask tough questions to captain KL Rahul, coach Anil Kumble after 6th defeat in 7 matches

Kings XI Punjab to ask tough questions to captain KL Rahul, coach Anil Kumble after 6th defeat in 7 matches. The two-run defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders was a huge blow for KXIP.

Kings XI Punjab captain KL Rahul under the scanner

Bengaluru, September 11: Kings XI Punjab nosedived to another defeat in the IPL 2020 when Kolkata Knight Riders miraculously snatched a two-run win on Saturday (October 11). It was their sixth defeat in seven matches and now they have just two points, reeling in the eighth place.

With seven more matches remaining in the IPL 2020, it is a tough task for Kings XI to reach the play-offs, and that's a steep fall for a team which carried pre-tournament billing as favourites. The hope was not without a reason either.

They had roped in KL Rahul as captain and appointed legendary Anil Kumble as coach and he has an array of high-profile names as support staff in Andy Flower (Assistant coach), Wasim Jaffer (batting coach), Jonty Rhodes (fielding coach) and Charl Langeveldt (bowling coach).

All are high profile names with proven credentials as coaches at various levels. Kumble was India's coach and had some degree of success, while Flower oversaw England's famous Ashes win in 2005 and others too have considerable success.

Yet, Kings XI Punjab have failed to produce a cohesive show in the IPL 2020. Their batting has mainly revolved around captain Rahul, his opening partner Mayank Agarwal and Nicholas Pooran as the middle-order has a rather soft underbelly. They have rotated between Sarfaraz Khan, Mandeep Singh and Prabhsimran Singh, without too much of a success.

Glenn Maxwell was expected to shore the middle and lower-middle over for Kings XI with his typical explosive batting but he has failed so miserably. After seven matches, Maxwell has 58 runs with a highest of 13 at an average of 14.50 and strike-rate of 95.08. Hardly the Big Show!

Now, their next match is against Royal Challengers Bangalore on October 15 and that gives them a break of four days to recuperate and revisit. But hard questions will be asked of Rahul and Kumble by the management. After all, IPL is also about being a business model as much it is about cricket.

Both Rahul and Kumble will have to do some explanations. Yes, the illness-enforced absence of Chris Gayle has affected the flexibility of Kings XI in certain matches. But they will have to answer why did a misfiring Karun Nair received four opportunities at the top while someone like Sarfaraz Khan batted so low down the order?

Why was Chris Jordan dropped after just one bad match against Delhi Capitals, while Jimmy Neesham received three chances in a row? Why was Simran Singh promoted ahead of Maxwell in the game against Kolkata Knight Riders?

Of course, at present Maxwell is not in the same hitting form but with just 21 balls to get off 16 balls, the Aussie would have been a better option than the rookie Simran. The Punjab wicketkeeper batsman fumbled against Sunil Narine before getting out.

Rahul might be asked why did not he stay till the end and finished the job for Kings XI? He might be wearing the Orange Cap with 387 runs at 64.50 at a strike-rate of 134.84 but those numbers might not reduce the intensity of the questions in the prevailing circumstances.

So, will the Kings XI management think of change in captain and coach? Unlikely at this stage of the tournament but there will be some candid talks for sure.

Reaching the play-offs is a hard task now, and they cannot afford any slip-up in the remaining seven matches. It's a steep mountain to climb. Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings have conquered that peak in the past. Can Kings XI Punjab do an encore?

Story first published: Sunday, October 11, 2020, 11:23 [IST]
Other articles published on Oct 11, 2020