IPL 2018: Five Players Who Might be Released by Kings XI Punjab Next Season

After intense cricketing action over a month-and-half, it was the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who won the eleventh edition of Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL) to lift their third title.

It was a sensational unbeaten knock from Shane Watson which sealed the deal for Chennai. The tournament was one of the very best for the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led team in particular.

Till the very last game of the group stage, fortunes fluctuated from one side to the other. In the end, Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Kolkata Knight Riders (RR) qualified for the playoffs ahead of Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Despite winning five of the first six matches, Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) failed to progress through to the playoffs. The middle order failed to impress and was unable to provide the ample support to the top order batsmen.

KL Rahul and Chris Gayle provided them brisk starts. However, the middle order batsmen weren’t able to provide the resistance.

Now let us have a look at  five players who might be released by the Kings XI Punjab:

Aaron Finch:

The Australian swashbuckling batter Aaron Finch was bought by the Kings XI for INR 6.2 crore.

Given his prowess especially in the shortest format of the game, the price he fetched wasn’t surprising. He was given chances in the middle order. However, he failed to impress for the rest of the tournament.

Finch was quite ordinary throughout the tournament. His inability to score runs affected Punjab big time.

In 10 matches Finch scored just 134 runs at a below-par average of 16.75. There was hardly any innings of substance barring a couple of 40 odd.

Also Read: Indian Players to Undergo Yo-Yo Test Before the Afghanistan Test

Mayank Agarwal:

The stylish right-hander batsman Mayank Agarwal came into the tournament on the back of some exceptional form in the domestic Twenty20 format.

Agarwal looked in great touch ahead of the IPL and hence was bought by Punjab for INR one crore.

However, Agarwal yet again failed to prove his potential in the IPL. He smashed a few exciting shots and looked in good touch.

However, he wasn’t able to provide the much-needed stability and surrendered his wickets at crucial junctures of the game. Given his performance this year, he is unlikely to be retained by Punjab.

Barinder Sran:

The left-arm medium pacer bagged INR 2.20 crore in the IPL auction and was bought by the Mohali-based outfit.

Sran has already represented the national team in limited overs cricket. He is a handy customer with the ball and has a knack of picking wickets at important junctures of the game.

Sran was quite ordinary and failed to impress in the limited opportunities he got.

The left-arm pacer played in six matches bagging just four wickets at an unimpressive average of 57.25. Sran was quite expensive and conceded runs at an economy rate of 10.40. 

Axar Patel:

The left-arm spinner was the only player to be retained by the Kings XI ahead of the eleventh edition of the lucrative league.

Axar had been a strong performer over the years. However, despite the faith shown in him, he failed to impress with bat and ball. It was flat bowling by Axar and he subsequently got dropped from the playing XI during the later stages of the match.

In nine matches Axar bagged just three wickets at an average of 72.66. The economy rate also proved to be on the higher side.

With the bat, the southpaw scored 80 runs at a below-par average of 13. Given his performances this year, Axar might well be released by the Punjab outfit.

Also Read: Dinesh Karthik Replaces Injured Wriddhiman Saha for Afghanistan Test

Manoj Tiwary:

An-abled Indian middle-order batsman was bought by the Kings XI for INR one crore.

Tiwary is a very experienced campaigner but lack of match practice ahead of the tournament didn’t quite help him through the tournament.

The Bengal-based batsman hardly made an impact. Tiwary tried his luck especially when Yuvraj Singh was in a terrible form.

Even Tiwary wasn’t impressive at all. He was unable to execute the shots to perfection.

Tiwary scored just 47 runs in 5 matches which included a 35 against CSK in the final group game. He is likely to be released by the KXIP.