5 Players KXIP can pick in the Auction to lead the side in IPL 2020

Over the last couple of months, there were a lot of rumours circulating around Ravichandran Ashwin and his potential transfer. It was predicted that he would leave Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and move to the Delhi Capitals (DC). The trade was made official and final a few days back.

The star Indian off-spinner was bought by the KXIP in the 2018 IPL auctions for a sum of INR 7.6 crore. He was the captain of the side as well for two years. However, KXIP failed to reach the playoffs even once in these two years. They finished sixth in both seasons. Ashwin’s performance with the ball was decent as he picked up 25 wickets across two seasons.

Now, with Ashwin’s departure, KXIP don’t have a captain. While they have the likes of KL Rahul and David Miller in their ranks to lead the side, but they could well buy someone from the auction to lead the side. So, here are five players KXIP can pick to lead the team in the 2020 edition of the IPL.

1. Eoin Morgan

Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) have tasted success with overseas captains in the past. When they decided to pick George Bailey and chose him as captain over someone like Virender Sehwag, it worked wonders in 2014. It could well have a similar impact if they decide to pick Eoin Morgan

Morgan has been leading the England limited-overs sides for more than four and a half years now. He’s been one of the key members behind their white-ball revolution. The Irish-born left-hander could be a very good addition to the middle-order as well which will also add some solidity to the batting line-up.

Moreover, Morgan is no stranger to the IPL. He’s played six seasons for four different teams, including KXIP (in 2017). Also, with England’s summer starting only in June, Morgan will be available for the entire season. Thus, the addition of an experienced player could well be a big boost and revive KXIP.

2. Aaron Finch

Aaron Finch could be a good fit as a captain. He has been Australia’s limited-overs captain for some time now. Australia have blown hot and cold in this period but Finch’s captaincy has been pretty good.

Moreover, he’s rated one of the explosive batsmen in the world. Leading an IPL side may not be on his card as of now, but he may not mind it at all.

In fact, it may just bring the best out of him. If KXIP decides to go for him, they could well opt to use Finch’s experience and make him the captain.

3. Jason Holder

Jason Holder is arguably one of the most underrated cricketers in the world at the moment. He often goes unnoticed and it’s the same for his captaincy as well. In fact, he’s been the crisis man for West Indies. When they were going through a tough phase just before the 2015 World Cup, the selectors chose Holder to do the job and he accepted it gleefully.

The tall lanky fast bowling all-rounder has been an inspiration for his side and has been leading from the front. He’s putting in some consistent performances and has become one of the top all-rounders in the world. Holder can have an impact with both bat and ball.

With no Ashwin, KXIP have a void to fill at that No. 7 spot and Holder fits the bill perfectly which will allow them to use their other spinners as well. Moreover, Holder can bring in all his captaincy experience. The West Indies skipper has played three seasons in the IPL so far, the last one coming in 2016.

4. Vinay Kumar

Not a lot of them may have thought about Vinay Kumar and many might brush it aside. But Vinay Kumar is a very underrated option. With the ball, he can be pretty effective and as captain, he’s won it all in the Indian domestic circuit and not once but twice.

Kumar has led Karnataka successfully over the last few years but has now moved to Puducherry. The fast bowler’s success in the Indian domestic circuit is also rated very highly. As a captain, the pace bowler is pretty smart and thinks on his feet.

He is a very experienced cricketer and has played 176 T20 games so far, out of which 105 have come in the IPL. He is a very smart customer and can often out-think the batsmen. Kumar’s addition could help KXIP play an extra overseas batsman in the middle order. Also, it would be worth a try to have a bowler as captain.

5. Manoj Tiwary

This option might be a strange one as Manoj Tiwary is more in the news these days for ranting about his chances in the Indian team. However, he could be a pretty decent and effective option. Be it with the bat or as captain, Tiwary has a decent amount of experience.

He’s played 173 T20 matches and more than half of those have come in the IPL. He has represented four different teams in the IPL with Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) being the last in 2018. But he played just five games in that season. In 2017, he was one of Rising Pune Supergiant’s stars as he did well as a finisher. He scored 324 runs at a strike-rate of 137.29 and was a vital cog in that middle-order.

He could play a similar role at KXIP. With them being top-heavy, Tiwary could add some balance in the middle-order and don the finisher’s role. Moreover, he is bowling a lot as well these days which is helpful as well. It may be a strange choice but Manoj Tiwary could be worth a try.