Top-Order

Verdict: Solid

Kings XI Punjab had their top-order sorted even before the auction. With Chris Gayle and KL Rahul accounting for more than 45 per cent of the runs last season, they hardly had to break sweat.

Besides the duo, Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran, Karun Nair, Mandeep Singh and Sarfaraz Khan can all bat up the order but it will probably be Glenn Maxwell, who they signed for a whooping Rs 10.5 cr who follow the two openers at the top. Maxwell has played just three T20Is this season and has a century and two half-centuries to show for and having been with the franchise previously, is well acquainted with the scheme of things at Kings XI Punjab.

Middle and Lower-order

Verdict: Full of potential

We would most probably see players like Nicholas Pooran, James Neesham, Krishnappa Gowtham, Sarfaraz Khan and Deepak Hooda batting between in the middle order. There could be a lot of shuffling at the start of the season between these positions as KXIP would try to figure out the right combination.

Neesham may get the nod owing to his all-round skills and might be expected to don the responsibility in the middle-order alongside Gowtham who should start for KXIP. Karun Nair, Sarfraz Khan, Deepak Hooda and Mandeep Singh are also quality options they can look to in case they suffer an early double whammy on the top.