The first day of the VIVO India Premier League auction was an exciting one for Kings XI Punjab. They managed to pick up a number of good players and formed a well-rounded squad by the end of the day. The fast bowling department looked a bit lacking by the end but that is what day two is for! Out of the 33 players bid by the Kings, nine were picked, and that including six Indians. Here is a look at the major events of the auction.

Losing catches to matches

KXIP were in a furious bidding war right from the start showcasing their aggressive Punjabi intent. They bid till the end on five big names and even picked them up, only to lose them eventually to the ‘Right to Match’ card. Sunrisers Hyderabad picked up Rashid Khan and Shikhar Dhawan while Chennai Super Kings took away Faf Du Plessis and Dwayne Bravo. KXIP too got to use their RTM cards for David Miller and Marcus Stoinis, but they will feel a little betrayed in the end as this tweet from one of the team promoters Preity Zinta shows.

Firki ka baadshah forms the second spin twin

Since Kings XI Punjab retained all-rounder Axar Patel they would have been looking for an able partner since we all know spinners hunt in pairs. Their eyes lit up when Ravichandran Ashwin’s name came up and they went all out for the wily off-spinner. Eventually they picked him up for 7.6 crore and further strengthened their spin department. His off-spinners and carrom balls will complement Patel’s bowling style perfectly and fans can expect a lot of success from this hunting pair.

Welcome back to the den, Miller

The notable names among the foreign players were Aussie Aaron Finch and South African David Miller. Miller has been particularly lethal in his stint with KXIP and will look to forge a successful partnership with Finch as he did with Glenn Maxwell previously. The two men will form a big part of the KXIP batting order and if they are able to get going it could spell disaster for the opposition.

Sadda Singh is back with the Kings

The biggest news for KXIP fans is that the team’s original poster-boy Yuvraj Singh has returned to the lions’ den and will be seen wearing the Kings’ colours this season. They were able to pick up the free-flowing left-hander for a modest 2 crore, which is a steal for the value he brings to the team. He is even a useful left-hand spinner and his fielding can help the Kings save quite a few runs in the field as well. Yuvi was happy to be back home…

…and the Kings shared in his joy

The Kings’s K factor

The major pattern seen in the KXIP team was that a number of the players were from the state of Karnataka. Three major batsmen including K.L. Rahul, Karun Nair and Mayank Agarwal represent the same state team which means they have a good understanding of each other. The Karnataka boys will be at the core of the team’s middle order and the comfort level they share with each other could be a huge asset for the Kings.

It was a successful day overall, though, for KXIP they were able to pick up a number of players from their list. On Sunday, they will look to consolidate their team by adding more muscle to the bowling line up.