Kings XI Punjab co-owner, Ness Wadia, has made it clear that he believes West Indies star batsman Chris Gayle should start from ball one next season, as analysis surrounding the team’s unsuccessful campaign continues to unfold.
Kings XI narrowly missed out on securing an Indian Premier League (IPL) playoff spot after finishing 6th in the overall standings. The team, however, got plenty of plaudits for an improbable run, which saw it win five games in a row after getting off to a 1-6 start.
Kings XI’s rapid ascent from the bottom of the table was fueled by the re-introduction of Gayle into the line-up. The West Indian had been left on the bench for the first seven games of the season. He was not picked for the first five, with a bout of food poisoning ruling him out for the next two. Gayle fired immediately once he was inserted into the line-up, ending with 288 runs at an average of 44.14 and a high score of 99.
“The team management did what it thought was best for the team. It is important to back experienced players and Gayle has demonstrated that he should play every game next season,” Wadia told the Press Trust of India (PTI).
The owner also had high praise for team captain and leading scorer KL Rahul, suggesting that some of Kings XI’s struggles could be based on the fact that it is a newly assembled unit.
“It’s a new captain, new team with lots of fresh faces, sometimes it clicks and sometimes it doesn’t. The auction is coming up soon and we would be looking to plug gaps in the middle order and our bowling,” Wadia said.
“K L has been with is for three years and there was a reason we went after him so aggressively. He has proved us right.”