IPL-7: Can Punjab make it large this time around?

Zee Media Bureau/Chaitan Papnai

New Delhi: Kings XI Punjab has been the most successful IPL team of the on-going edition thus far. The franchise has won 11 matches out of the fifteen they have played. KXIP started off the edition on a winning note and kept that momentum going. In the first-leg of the tournament, which took place in UAE, they won all their five matches to be at the top in the points table. Even during the second-leg, they played outstanding cricket in all departments. If in the first half of the tournament it was Australian Glenn Maxwell and South African David Miller who hogged all the lime light and took their game to a new level, then it was the lesser known Akshar Patel and Sandeep Sharma who impressed everyone with their impeccable bowling in the second half. In fact, Manan Vohra, the only retained player of the franchise along with Miller, also made a name for himself, even after getting a chance to play his first game in the second half of the tournament. Australian George Bailey-led KXIP have so far performed exceptionally well. Now they are just two matches away from winning their maiden IPL title. In today`s encounter they have to beat the two time champions CSK. And if they cross the first hurdle then in the final they will face the resurgent KKR, who are high on confidence. Still, if KXIP perform up to their potential, there is no doubt they can get the better of these two sides to lift their maiden IPL title.