Kings XI Punjab are a franchisee that has been present right from the beginning in the Indian Premier League but always look like a side that is finding feet in the championship. Barring a final in the 2014 edition, the team has little to show for in all these years. While Director of cricket operations KXIP, Anil Kumble has expressed hope of the lifting the trophy this year, the pundits are not yet convinced. Under the leadership of KL Rahul, the Mohali based club will want some swashbuckling performances with the team boasting of some fine T20 names in their ranks. Ahead of the much IPL 2020, we take a look at players who can make a difference for Punjab this season. KXIP IPL 2020 Schedule With Date & Timings in IST: Kings XI Punjab Matches of Indian Premier League 13 With Full Timetable, Fixtures in UAE.

KL Rahul

Star batsman and skipper of Punjab, KL Rahul is the go to man for Punjab when it comes to the batting department. A technically gifted player whose stroke making has him up there with the best batsmen in the world, K L Rahul can be a force to reckon with in UAE. His captaincy though will be put to test particularly in the crunch situations.

Glenn Maxwell

Australia’s stylish batsman Glenn Maxwell had a dream run in the IPL, the last time he visited back in 2014. Unfortunately consistency has been hard to come by for the hard hitting batsman for much of his career. He would like to make amends though when he walks out to bat for Punjab in the middle order. Kings XI Punjab Team SWOT Analysis: Ahead of IPL 2020 Find Out Positives And Negatives of KL Rahul’s KXIP.

Sheldon Cottrell

Kings XI Punjab’s bowling will be boosted by the presence of West Indies international Sheldon Cottrell. He is a kind of bowler who likes to hit the deck hard with the new bowl and can scalp a few wickets.

James Neesham

Vastly under-rated , James Neesham is a type of player every captain wants in his team due to his versatility. He can chip in with some wickets in the middle overs while being more than decent lower order batsman. The one thing that can go in his favour is the dead tracks of UAE which suit his bowling style.

Mohammed Shami

The leader of the Kings XI Punjab pace attack, Mohammed Shami has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. He can be a bit expensive at times but you can be rest assured he will be amongst the wickets in every game. KXIP Team Profile for IPL 2020: Kings XI Punjab Squad in UAE, Stats & Records and Full List of Players Ahead of Indian Premier League Season 13.

Dark Horse: Nicholas Pooran

While it appears KL Rahul will most likely do the wicketkeeping duties for Kings XI, they have the services of Nicholas Pooran as well. The wicket-keeper can serves purely as batsman in the playing XI, thanks to his aggressive style.

WATCH: KXIP Team Profile IPL 2020

Kings XI Punjab are entertainers who will likely miss out on the play off stages once again but will have some good one sided wins in the group stages.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 07, 2020 06:51 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).