IPL 2018: Skipper R Ashwin impressed for Kings XI Punjab; KL Rahul proved the worth of Indian-heavy batting line-up

As KL Rahul smacked a stunning half-century off just 14 balls, one of the on-air commentators remarked that he “would make a superb opening partnership with Chris Gayle”. It was an obvious statement even if it is tough to remember which commentator said that, for Star Sports has an impressive – and vast – line-up. Yet the response from Ian Bishop (on air at the same time) was as stunning as Rahul’s knock. “An in-form Chris Gayle would make a good opening partner. Gayle hasn’t been in the best of form lately,” said the former West Indies fast bowler, making it easier to recall his comments from the day. You see Bishop has a knack for calling a spade just what it is. [caption id=“attachment_4423915” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Kings XI Punjab’s KL Rahul in action against Delhi Daredevils in Mohali. Sportzpics[/caption] When the team sheet for Kings XI Punjab came out, it was indeed the first question – where is Gayle? The Delhi Daredevils team posed a similar query about the whereabouts of Glenn Maxwell, for these two names are given starters in any T20 playing XI. Coach Ricky Ponting was on record to spell out that Maxwell had not yet joined the Daredevils squad. No such clarification came from the Punjab camp on Gayle. Obviously then, Gayle had been dropped from the first-XI plans at the very start of the tournament. In his last proper outing, he managed only 165 runs from six ODIs for the Windies in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers. He has also had little impact in his previous T20 outings, most notably in the recent seasons of the IPL itself. There was a reason why he was unsold in the first round of the auctions in January, and Kings XI Punjab only bought him in a latter round, when the auction neared completion. The underlying point is that Gayle is no longer the high-impact batsman he once was. He may yet find a second wind and prove everyone wrong, but the chances of that happening are slim given how age is catching up with him. He is now restricted to the limited-impact category, and any team management would do well to recognise this aspect and use him accordingly as well as sparingly. And the fact that Ravichandran Ashwin didn’t include Gayle in his first-pick as captain of this 2018 IPL season underlines that the KXIP management might just have realised this point already. In that light, he is already one-up on Royal Challengers Bangalore (and Virat Kohli), who had picked Gayle from the word go as late as 2017 and in turn disturbed their team balance for a long time. Let it be said here that in T20 cricket, half the battle is worth getting the team selection right. More so in franchise cricket, especially given the IPL’s format, wherein you only get to pick four overseas players. How do you balance them – in terms of bowling or batting, and indeed picking the right youth talent? Many IPL captains have tried and failed to find this answer – you only have to check the list of repeat winners to realise this factoid. Sure, it is too early to say that Ashwin has already checked this pointer off his list, yet it cannot be denied that he has made a good start. In their first outing, Kings XI Punjab made sure the ‘overseas’ balance of their side was leaning towards bowling. In that, they fielded allrounder Marcus Stoinis and two other bowlers in Andrew Tye and the youngster Mujeeb Zadran. When it came to batting prowess, they preferred David Miller to Gayle – an obvious call. It resulted in the crux of their batting order being dependant on Indian talent, and that is not such a bad thing in itself. The likes of Rahul and Karun Nair have a point to prove in terms of lack of opportunities in international cricket, and this is the best stage to catch some attention from the selectors. A good IPL captain only needs to egg them on and sit back. If you need further explanation, just look at how Nair kissed his KXIP helmet badge on reaching his half-century. This is a person playing the first game for a new franchise, and already there is a sense of belonging that has clearly been inculcated in the pre-season build-up. Regarding the game itself, the plan to use spin bowling first up was what choked the Daredevils’ scoring. Ashwin is someone who has gained primacy through opening the bowling in the IPL, and it was no wonder that he decided to open the attack. Sure, Mohit Sharma was deployed from the other end but he bowled only one over, perhaps to judge what the pitch had to offer to both spin and pace. The next pacer – Tye came only in the final over of the powerplay – showcasing that Kings XI Punjab had indeed done their homework. The only man who negated their threat was Gautam Gambhir, who is among the best players of spin among top-order batsmen across formats. Ashwin used pace to thwart the Daredevils’ middle and lower order, restricting them to about 15-20 runs short. Consequently, the wherewithal to bowl 11 overs of spin across variations, that too on a Mohali pitch that is traditionally not too slow when the tournament begins, cannot be denied as a proper plan already emanating from the Punjab camp this season. Combined with some shrewd captaincy and chutzpah from the Kings XI Punjab team management, could it be the key to success this season? Only time will tell.