Kings XI Punjab are one of the most underperforming franchises in the competition. Barring a season here and there, the Preity Zinta-owned squad has largely been underwhelming.
One of the main reasons for this has been their failure to assemble a settled squad. Very often, the team undergoes a massive change in the hope of a fresh start. In fact, KXIP has had the highest number of captains in the tournament’s history. Well, that shows you why the franchise has struggled to do well on the pitch.
On that note, in this article, we tell you about eight players whom KXIP must have never released in the first place.
1. Eoin Morgan
Yes, Morgan might not have been an established superstar then, but yet, KXIP could have kept hold of the Englishman. The franchise has not been able to identify a focal point of foundation after the initial three seasons. If they had given Morgan the responsibility, at least within a span of two or three seasons, KXIP might have got close to the trophy.
2. Dinesh Karthik
After season three, KXIP purchased Dinesh Karthik to add flesh to the batting unit. However, soon, the franchise released him. Later on, DK went on to do exceptionally well at several other franchises. Considering he was the only experienced Indian batsman in the squad then, the decision to release DK was baffling. We think that KXIP must have given a few more opportunities to the Tamil Nadu player.
3. Rahul Tewatia
Not many know that Rahul Tewatia was once part of the KXIP unit. Although he had shown flashes of his abilities in previous seasons, it was in 2020 that Rahul truly announced himself. Being a Haryana player, the scouts of KXIP could have done better before releasing Rahul. He might have added that much-needed spunk to the lower middle-order of the batting unit.
4. Sandeep Sharma
When you take the stats, it is heartening to note that Sandeep Sharma is almost equal to Jasprit Bumrah in terms of performances. It is just that Sandeep is more conventional and often goes under the radar. All of it started when KXIP started utilizing him in the powerplay. He was successful and did better than most of the other established bowlers. Yet, KXIP released him and made a mistake. While Sandeep is still maintaining his form, KXIP lacked a quality backup to Mohammed Shami in 2020.
5. T Natarajan
A talent that they identified, KXIP released T Natarajan sooner than expected. When he was there too, the Mohali-based franchise offered him very few opportunities. At the moment, Natarajan is in top form and is one of the best left-arm pacers in the country. A little more patience and KXIP could have reaped the benefits.
6. Sam Curran
KXIP hired Sam Curran as one of their biggest buys in 2019. Although the English all-rounder did well, he was later released to the auctions. In 2020, Sam did well and was one of the better performers for CSK. With the kind of potential he has and keeping the future in mind, KXIP could have given another season to Sam. However, it is difficult now as CSK might already be planning for the future with him at the center of the plans.
7. Axar Patel
Although they backed him for a long time, we feel KXIP released Axar at the wrong time. The Gujarat all-rounder strengthened Delhi Capitals, and had he been in the current KXIP unit, things could have been different for the squad. A quality left-arm offie, Axar has often shown his big-hitting skills with the bat. KXIP did make a wrong decision to release him.
8. Varun Chakravarthy
We might not read too much into this as Varun CV was extremely expensive to keep hold of. However, they could have tried to get him by going again at the auctions. All of this is in the past as Varun has now earned himself a place in the Indian Team after a tough start to his career.
