IPL 2018: Kings XI Punjab Appoint New Captain for the Upcoming Season

Ever since the IPL auction concluded the biggest debate in the Kings XI Punjab dressing room has been about who will lead the franchise in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League.

The wait is finally over for the Punjab fans as two times IPL champion Ravichandran Ashwin has been named the captain of the Kings XI Punjab.

Ravichandran Ashwin has officially been named as the new captain of Kings XI Punjab for the upcoming Indian Premier League season. The off-spinner has been handed the responsibility of leading the Punjab based franchise who never won the cash-rich league and have reached the final of the tournament just once.

Ashwin was bought by Punjab for a whopping 7.6 crores by Preity Zinta at the IPL auction. The Tamil Nadu player played for Chennai Super Kings in the first eight seasons of the IPL.

However, he was then forced to shift his base Pune after CSK was suspended for two years.

While speaking to KXIP website, Ashwin promised fans that, with him being the skipper of Punjab the fans and would be proud of the way his team plays.

“I feel honoured to be trusted with the responsibility of leading such a talented bunch of cricketers. I am confident of bringing out the best out of team mates. This is indeed a proud moment for me.” 

He also put to rest any questions regarding his ability to balance the pressures of captaincy with those of being one of the main strike bowlers of the team.

“There is no additional pressure on me as such. I first led my state side in first-class cricket when I was 21. I have done it in the past and I am sure that I will enjoy the challenge,”