Published 16:54 IST, December 11th 2019
IPL: Kings XI Punjab's best playing XI from 2010s starring Adam Gilchrist and R Ashwin
IPL 2014 runners-up Kings XI Punjab have played some entertaining cricket over the years. Here are those who would make their best playing XI in the 2010s.
Over the years, Indian Premier League franchise Kings XI Punjab have provided their fans with some thrilling cricket. While the team has not been able to get their hands on the IPL trophy, yet they have played some memorable matches over the last ten years. In this article, we take a look at the Kings XI' best playing XI from the 2010s, with the decade coming to a close soon.
Kings XI Punjab: Best playing XI of the decade
1. KL Rahul
The Karnataka batsman announced his Kings XI arrival by smashing the fastest IPL fifty of all time in his very first match, which came off just 14 balls in the IPL 2018. Rahul has scored 1252 runs for KXIP in just 28 matches with a high score of 100*.
2. Adam Gilchrist (captain/wicketkeeper)
Gilchrist has been the Kings XI's longest-serving skipper as he led the team in three seasons (2011-2013). The Australian kept KXIP in contention until the very last match of every season he played. He scored 849 runs for Punjab in 34 matches with a high score of 106. He has a win percentage of 50%.
3. Shaun Marsh
Marsh has never played for any other team in the IPL and almost repeated his 2008 heroics in 2011 when he almost took the Orange Cap from Chris Gayle. Marsh has scored 1861 runs for the Kings XI in the 60 matches he played for them in the 2010s with a high score of 95.
4. David Miller
Miller rose to T20 prominence through his time with the Kings XI. The South African batsman scored 1974 runs in his 84 Kings XI appearances with a high score of 101*.
5. Mandeep Singh
Mandeep started as an opener in the team and flourished into a dependable middle-order batsman. He has scored 928 runs in his 54 matches for the team.
6. Manan Vohra
In his time with the Kings XI, Vohra stayed consistent in every chance he got. He even made a vital fifty in the 2014 Finals. He made 1106 runs in his 50 appearances for the team.
7. Ravichandran Ashwin
Ashwin led the side for two seasons and although his captaincy was controversial, his contributions with the ball were consistent. He took 25 wickets in 28 matches and added some runs at crucial phases.
8. Axar Patel
Patel entered the team in 2014 and became a consistent bowling all-rounder. He took 69 wickets and scored 740 runs in his 73 matches for the team.
9. Andrew Tye
He became the Kings XI's first-ever Purple Cap winner and was one of their most impactful bowlers in his short stint with the team. The Australian took 27 wickets in his 20 appearances for the team.
10. Sandeep Sharma
Sandeep made his IPL debut for the team in 2013 and established himself as a force to be reckoned with. He is their second-highest wicket-taker of all time with 71 wickets in 56 appearances.
11. Praveen Kumar
Kumar played only three seasons for the Kings XI but proved vital for the team in crunch moments. He took 31 wickets in 44 matches at an impressive economy rate of 6.96.
Updated 17:10 IST, December 11th 2019