3 Players Who Can Replace Ravichandran Ashwin As KXIP Captain If He Leaves The Team

India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is likely to leave Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) to join Delhi Capitals for the 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL). Ashwin joined Punjab ahead of the 2018 IPL and soon after took over as the captain of the team.

The veteran skipper has had an average outing with the Punjab outfit in the last two years. Along with his bowling, his leadership abilities were also put under test. He won 12 games and lost 16 in the past two IPL seasons. Besides, Ravichandran Ashwin was at the heart of controversies in the last edition.

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As per reports in ESPN, Ashwin is on the verge of moving out of Kings XI Punjab and join Delhi Capitals. The franchise-based in Delhi have reportedly made the first move, and the two franchises have been engaged in talks for the past few months. If Delhi manages to procure the off-spinner it will only increase their depth in the spin department.

We at Cricket Addictor take a look at the three possible replacements of Ravichandran Ashwin as the Kings XI Punjab skipper:

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KL Rahul

The talented India opener, KL Rahul joined Kings XI Punjab ahead of the 2018 edition of the IPL for a hefty sum of Rs 11 crores. The Karnataka-born cricketer has been a revelation with the bat ever since he joined Punjab in 2018.

Rahul announced his arrival as he led the KXIP run charts with over 650 runs with six half-centuries that included a few innings in the 90s. In the next season, he scored 593 runs from 14 outings including a century and six fifties.

With his international experiences and success with the side, Rahul seems to be the frontrunner to be the next Punjab skipper if Ravichandran Ashwin leaves. Rahul has some kind of experiences of captaining a team which will come in handy if he gets the job.

David Miller

South Africa’s explosive batsman David Miller is for Kings XI Punjab what Virat Kohli is for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Both have played for only one franchise throughout their IPL career. He has been rock solid in Punjab’s middle-order throughout the history of the competition.

With reports emerging that Ravichandran Ashwin might join Delhi Capitals after struggling to give success to Punjab, Miller can be a top-contender to take up the captaincy role. He is the most experienced campaigner in the side and has plenty of experiences behind his back.

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However, Miller’s form with the bat has not been that great in recent times. This is one factor which can go against him and also him being an overseas cricketer his place in the side is also not guaranteed. But the Proteas veteran will be in the mind of the management before picking the next skipper if needed.

Karun Nair

Kings XI Punjab had high hopes on Karnataka batsman Karun Nair when they roped him in IPL 2018 for a whopping sum of Rs. 5.60 crores. Nair had a good season scoring 301 runs from 13 outings including two fifties.

However, things took a wrong turn in this year’s IPL as Nair got only one match throughout the season. Punjab also didn’t have a good tournament as they bowed out from the group stages. As Preity Zinta-owned franchise look to revamp their squad, Nair can once again comeback in the scheme of things.

And with Ravichandran Ashwin reportedly changing his base to Delhi, Karun Nair can be a strong contender to take up the leadership duties. He has prior experiences of leading Karnataka and India A sides on various occasions and can be a handy customer.