KXIP coach Mike Hesson disappointed with players getting injured, especially the loss of Moises Henriques

Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) have seen almost a rerun of their 2018 campaign in this year’s Indian Premier League. After having started well, Ravichandran Ashwin’s side has lost five of their last six matches and now face a make-or-break battle against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Mohali on Friday. Whoever loses the clash will crash out of the tournament. Last year, too, the Kings had lost all their last five games to come to a disappointing halt.

The Kings had a sensational beginning to their campaign this year with their skipper Ravichandran Ashwin’s ‘Mankading’ controversy. Their opening batsman KL Rahul has been in a grand form like last year while his opening partner Chris Gayle too has been in a decent nick. However, the KXIP have yet not been able to dominate the opponents the way they would have liked to and their share of injury problems is one responsible factor.

Speaking to the media on the eve of the crucial key against the KKR, KXIP coach Mike Hesson said there was no point overlooking at the past but at things that the team needs to improve upon. He pointed out that the Kings’ bowlers have struggled to contain opponents in the powerplays and death overs. He said different options had been tried in those areas and the team was working on improving on them.

Speaking on the KXIP’s frequent change of sides, Hesson said while the bowlers’ form has been one concern, the other has been the frequent injuries.

We have had 14 injuries this season, says Hesson

“Sticking with the same players is the ideal scenario, but we have had 14 injuries in this campaign. We have one injury and often we had to make two changes. There have been four occasions when we wanted to roll the same eleven but haven’t been able to due to injury. So those factors we have to consider,” he said.

Hesson was particularly disappointed with the injury of Australian all-rounder Moises Henriques saying it has affected the balance of the team. He said losing Henriques meaning losing the sixth bowling option and also a batter in the top order.

[interaction id=”5cc87a962ea93c1c050b5d16″]

Get the latest Cricket News and updates from the Indian Premier League (IPL), Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.