Punjab’s overseas force failing to fire in unison
The 2017 Indian Premier League has been sort of a rollercoaster ride for Kings XI Punjab till now. They were off to a brilliant start after two convincing victories at home, but it has been all downhill from there.
They were completely outplayed in the next two matches where they faced heavy defeats against Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils. Things did not improve for them as they slumped to their third loss in a row when they were defeated by Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday.
OVERSEAS BATSMEN
Kings XI Punjab went into this year’s tournament with a heavy arsenal of overseas batsmen, but they have been quite ineffective till now. A small case in point - the quartet of Hashim Amla, Glenn Maxwell, Eoin Morgan and David Miller contributed just 24 runs off 36 ball against Sunrisers Hyderabad and that cannot be good news for a team who are struggling to win matches.
START AND STOP
Hashim Amla had a wonderful start to the season with a fifty in the second game, but he has failed to shine ever since. Amla has scored just 46 runs in the last 3 matches and as a result, Kings XI Punjab have failed to form any substantial partnership for the first wicket.
The situation is worse for his compatriot - David Miller - as the Proteas batsman has been one of the weakest links of the side. With just 83 runs from 5 matches, he is yet to deliver a solid innings in this year’s tournament.
BIG SHOW FLOPPING
Glenn Maxwell also came into the tournament with a lot of confidence and that showed in his swashbuckling knocks. Captain Maxwell made two scores in the 40s in the first two wins of the season but he too failed to fire in the rest of the games. In comparison, it seems unfair to judge Eoin Morgan on his numbers as he has played just two matches, but that does not negate the fact that even he has failed to provide any support to the team. Thus, a team which has gone with four overseas batsmen for the last two games have almost nothing to show for their trust in the international stars. The going does not get any easier for them as they will face the lethal bowling attack of Mumbai Indians on Thursday. The pace trio of Lasith Malinga, Mitchell McClenaghan and Jasprit Bumrah have impressed a lot of people with their performances and the green top at the Holkar Stadium will add more sting to their attack.
GLENN MAXWELL ALSO CAME WITH A LOT OF CONFIDENCE AND THAT SHOWED IN HIS SWASHBUCKLING KNOCKS. CAPTAIN MAXWELL MADE TWO SCORES IN THE 40S IN THE FIRST TWO WINS BUT HE TOO FAILED.