For the second successive year since their famous final dash two years ago, Kings XI finished with the wooden spoon. © IPL
Kings XI Punjab looked in early trouble even before the team took the field in the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Their star opener Virender Sehwag had quit the sport months before the onset of the season, and the franchise had chosen not to retain or buy back their captain George Bailey. With the two senior pros gone, though Sehwag served as the team mentor, this relatively young squad under the leadership of first-timer David Miller was tasked with replicating their 2014 heroics.
But for the second successive year since their famous final dash two years ago, Kings XI finished with the wooden spoon. Punjab managed one win more than their tally in the last season but found themselves stuck at the bottom of the points table for majority of the time. Despite going into the tournament with an almost similar nucleus as in 2014, Kings XI's campaign crashed for reasons more than one.
Matches played: 14 | Won: 4 | Lost: 10 | Position: 8th
KEY POINTS
1. Captaincy woes
After letting go of George Bailey, Kings XI management decided to hand over the reigns of the team to their South African recruit David Miller. Miller was a relatively unknown name when picked up by the same franchise ahead of the 2013 edition for a whopping Rs. 6 crore but soon became a core member of the team. However, his luck ran out this year.
Not only did Miller's inexperience in the top role hurt the team's chances, but his indifferent form too was a contributing factor for a team that struggled to put runs on the board. Murali Vijay, by far Punjab's best man on the field, was named Miller's successor in the middle of the tournament, though equally inexperienced in the role. The change of leadership, coincidentally, did spark a series of notable performances, but it was too late in the day for the team which had just two wins from seven concluded games at the halfway stage.
2. Opening act
Virender Sehwag's retirement late last year had left the Mohali-based franchise with a task to find Vijay a reliable opening partner. Manan Vohra, who had been tested in the role last year, filled in perfectly, only at the start though. Vijay and Vohra were amongst the most successful opening combos in early stages of the tournament but were let down by a middle-order that rarely backed them up. When form deserted Vohra, Punjab were struggling for an apt replacement that would give the team a start for the middle order to build on. By the time Hashim Amla joined, and could get going, Kings XI were all but out of contention for the knockouts.
3. The Bailey impact
Getting rid of Bailey was a gamble gone wrong for the 2014 runners-up. Not only did the move deprive them of a captain who could lead from the front, Bailey's assurance in the middle order was also missed by the team which, probably, had the most brittle line-up in the competition. With Bailey around, playing the anchor, the glamorous stroke-makers like Glenn Maxwell and Miller played with all the freedom to help the team pick up some bonus runs. His absence, though, put the two under added pressure. Miller and Maxwell invariably found themselves anchoring the ship in the middle overs when it was really time for them to unleash their natural hard-hitting abilities.
Shaun Marsh tried to fill in the void left due to his Australian teammate's departure, and amassed 179 runs in six games he played, but a back injury ended his campaign prematurely.
4. Unimposing foreign bench
Marcus Stoinis chipped in both with the bat and the ball, with whatever limited opportunities he got at the fag end, but it was baffling to see all-rounder Farhaan Behardien warming the bench despite Maxwell and Miller's continued uninspiring performances.
Mitchell Johnson, before the start of the competition, had mentioned how his international retirement had kept him fresh and hungry for a full season, but he featured in only three games. With just two wickets against his name, the fearsome pacer looked a pale shadow of his former self. Kyle Abbott got five chances but was hit all over the park and finished with as many scalps.
HITS
Murali Vijay: The opener, who finished eighth in the batting charts at the end of the league stages, top-scored for the team with 453 runs and five knocks of fifty or more. The captain did bulk of the scoring for the team and was often waging a lone battle. He was, by far, their most consistent performer, with all three departments of the game put together.
The Sharmas:At the start, Kings XI's bowling was touted to be their weak link, but it emerged as the only noteworthy element across games. The two Sharmas - Sandeep and Mohit - were the chief contributors in three of their four and finished with a combined tally of 28 wickets. The duo carried the burden of the bowling department which boasted of more popular names like Johnson and Abbott.
MISSES
David Miller: Being the captain of the side, Miller was expected to provide a platform that the middle-order could build on. Unfortunately, not once in all 14 games did we see the South African playing to his true potential. While it is easy to see why the team management persisted with an under-performing star for the first half of the season, a series of injuries in their foreign camp resulted in Miller getting an extended run after being stripped of captaincy duties. Miller's disappointing season ended with just 161 runs at a poor average of just a shade over 16.
Glenn Maxwell: The biggest disappointment, unarguably, was the Maxwell's inconsistency. The Australian recruit contributed only in patches - two fifties in 11 outings and a total of 179 runs - before returning home early due to side strain. With a misfiring middle-order, Maxwell was expected to provide the finishing touches, but his failure exposed the team over-dependence on their star purchase.
NUMBERS AND TRIVIA
-This is the third time Kings XI Punjab ended bottom of the table in a season following 2010 and 2015. Delhi Daredevils are the only team to face this ignominy more than once.
-Kings XI Punjab lost 18 wickets more than they took - the highest negative difference among all teams.
-Kings XI Punjab lost all the five matches when they won the toss. They are the only team in this season not to win a single match after winning the toss.
-Kings XI Punjab registered two fifty plus partnerships for the opening wicket in Mohali this season. They didn't have a single one in Mohali in the last four seasons.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2017
Vijay - the captain - has been their find of the season, but it goes without saying that the team needs a complete overhaul to come up with an improved show in the coming year. After an unsatisfactory season, Maxwell and Miller will have to put their hands up and assume the responsibilities of senior statement in the team. Amla, given his batting prowess, and all-rounder Stoinis could be given an extended run, but the management needs to reconsider the roles of Johnson and Abbott.
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