IPL 2020: The writing is on the wall for Kings XI

Dubai - Against CSK, the KXIP bowlers failed to pick up even a single wicket in a run chase of 179.

A new-look Kings XI Punjab under the leadership of KL Rahul and Anil Kumble as the head-coach were among the teams to watch out for in the year's IPL after they secured in some of the big names in the form of Glenn Maxwell, Sheldon Cottrell and Chris Jordan among others at player's auction last year.
In the first game against Delhi Capitals, they had the Shreyas Iyer-led side on the back foot with 30-4 before Delhi managed to put a decent score of 157. Punjab nearly chased with a masterclass 89 from Mayank Agarwal, failing to score 1 run in the last 3 balls, taking the match to super over and losing it ultimately.
In their match against Rajasthan Royals, after scoring 226 runs it looked like a cake walk for KXIP after RR lost wickets at regular intervals. But Rahul Tewatia turned out to be the hero for Rajasthan Royals destroying Cottrell with five sixes in an over and winning the game for the Royals.
While Sheldon Cottrell and Mohammed Shami have both been reasonably good with the new ball. KXIP's record in the death overs has been shambolic this season with the decent economy rate and the bowlers doing well in the first 14-16 overs runs and thereafter leaking runs towards the death.
Against CSK, the KXIP bowlers failed to pick up even a single wicket in a run chase of 179.
While in the match against MI, Shami and James Neesham were taken to the cleaners by Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya in the last 4 overs where they leaked 80 runs and eventually lost to MI by 48 runs.
Again in their last game against KKR, they lost from a winning position after dominating 90 per cent of the match. They had 8 wickets in hand with just 21 runs to get from 17 balls but like the other games they choked under pressure and lost the game just by 2 runs.
KL Rahul and Mayank gave them a good start with 130 runs opening partnership and it looked like an easy chase. But Punjab lost well-settled Mayank in the 14th and Nicholas Pooran in the 17th over just needing 21 off 17 balls, where they hit the self-destructive button by sending the young Prabhsimran Singh ahead of Maxwell who played three dot balls in the 17th over and scored just a single off the last ball
They have had a dreadful edition so far with 6 losses in 7 games and they have their backs to the walls with just 7 games left and they need to win 7 out of 7 to qualify for the playoffs.
Glenn Maxwell and Chris Jordan have been a flop show for Kings XI Punjab and neither the Indian players like Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul have not been able to take them across the line.
You can be unlucky once, twice but not the third time and good teams which gel well create their own luck. Unfortunately that has not been the case with KXIP and the writing is very much on the wall this year too.

• IPL 2019