IPL 2021 Auction: Decoding focus areas of Kings XI Punjab
What's the story
Kings XI Punjab have shown some below-par performances in the previous few Indian Premier League seasons.
They haven't made it to the playoffs since the 2014 edition, wherein they were the runners-up.
The KL Rahul-led franchise released quite a few players, and hence, have the biggest purse available ahead of the 2021 player auction.
We take a look at their auction strategy.
Players
Maxwell, Cottrell released from the KXIP roster
Ahead of the player auction, the KXIP had released two of their most expensive buys, Glenn Maxwell and Sheldon Cottrell.
The duo had a terrible season with the franchise in 2020.
Among foreign players, they have also released James Neesham, Mujeeb ur Rahman and Hardus Viljoen.
Meanwhile, they have got rid of four Indian players, Karun Nair, Jagadeesha Suchith, Krishnappa Gowtham and Tajinder Singh.
List
Here are the players released and retained by KXIP
Released: Glenn Maxwell, Karun Nair, Hardus Viljoen, Jagadeesha Suchith, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Sheldon Cottrell, James Neesham, Krishnappa Gowtham, Tajinder Singh.
Retained: KL Rahul (c), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran, Mandeep Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Prabhsimran Singh, Mohammed Shami, Chris Jordan, Darshan Nalkande, Ravi Bishnoi, Murugan Ashwin, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Ishan Porel
Information
Remaining purse of KXIP: Rs. 53.20 crore
A total of nine players have been released by the KXIP, including five foreigners and four Indians. They now have nine slots remaining with a maximum of five overseas players. Meanwhile, they have the biggest purse remaining (Rs. 53.20 crore).
Focus
The KXIP management has plenty of issues to address
At the moment, Kings XI Punjab have too many issues to address.
Their squad looks bereft of quality seamers, with Mohammed Shami being an exception.
In the absence of Maxwell, they are also short of an effective middle-order batsman, who could finish the game.
Considering their current purse, the KXIP might also target an out-and-out all-rounder such as Shakib Al Hasan.