Why the KXIP juggernaut will not roll

Kings XI Punjab is here to win. This is not exactly the first time that they have looked menacing right from the first ball in the tournament, but the resounding victories in all three matches are an indication of things to come. After playing smart in the auctions, KXIP have chosen an able, wise and most importantly, calm captain in Bailey. The line-up is star studded and they have been chasing targets with ridiculous ease on the back of Maxwell’s pyrotechnics and Miller’s philosophy of ‘in the arc, out of the park’. Things do not exactly appear so rosy for KXIP though and we shall see why.
Barring their last win against the Sunrisers, KXIP bowlers have taken a pasting at the hand of rival batsmen so much so that they conceded 190+ scores on their first two outings on the field. Their idea of opening the bowling with Akshar Patel’s tweaks with a hard ball on a shiny surface have paid no dividends, and rightly so. Having Johnson, the young Sandeep Sharma and the not-so-young Awana, Akshar Patel is at the end of the day a part-timer who should not be taking the new ball just for the sake of starting the game with a spinner. Many will argue that Akshar Patel has maintained a decent economy rate, but that is not the point. The point here is outright clear: More of Akshar Patel in the first 5 and KXIP lose the sting of Mitchell Johnson. His rebirth as an international bowler has been mostly because he is second fiddle no more. His strength lies in dictating the terms right from the beginning. There is nothing more satisfying for a fast bowler of his caliber and most importantly, his form; to have the captain toss the new ball into his eager palms, a statement of trust to begin the story of the innings the way he wants to. With Akshar Patel getting overs in the first five, Mitchell Johnson is not the same one who cracked the British skulls and pride, but the mercurial one who used to at one time deliver ‘wide filth’ at the batsmen. KXIP tried this in the match where they defended 193 and see Johnson’s average (6.50 against 11.75 and 7.25).
Murali Kartik is the key bet though, especially in the middle overs. KXIP do not have the luxury of operating spinners of different types on flat decks. Murali Kartik, here can be indispensible for he knows how to tie down a batsman more than does Akshar Patel. The reliance on pace heavy attacks is not going to help KXIP even when they get back to India, because they most likely will play on fresh surfaces and not ones that have been worn out due to the fast moving bandwagon that is the IPL.
Frankly speaking, Rishi Dhawan should give way for Kartik in the coming matches. While it is true that Rishi Dhawan has been in prolific form in the domestic circuit, his utilization in the squad is a big question mark. Dhawan is a decent all-rounder. But where he is batting in the current scheme of things, in the tail; does not leave him with much to contribute with the bat. In terms of bowling, Dhawan brings nothing special to the table because when he can swing the ball, he dips it into the batsman; which Sandeep Sharma is already doing. Or he finds himself in the role of pace-changer, which Balaji is quite adept at. The result: Misfit. Not his fault though.
Little things, but they will go a long way in making sure that KXIP do not have to chase a target of 180+ every second time they chase. IPL s are won by teams that have shown balance all through the tournament, and with three wins under their belt; now is the time for KXIP to demonstrate said balance.