Kings XI Punjab Announce KL Rahul As New Skipper For IPL 2020

Rahul was roped in by KXIP for a whopping INR 11 crores ahead of 2018 season. Since joining the franchise, the opener amassed 659 and 593 runs in 2018 and 2019 seasons for the franchisee.

KL Rahul

Kings XI Punjab has appointed free flowing strokemaker K.L. Rahul as its captain for the forthcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season, the franchise’s co-owner Ness Wadia told media on Thursday. After the franchise traded out Ravichandran Ashwin to Delhi Capitals, rumours were strong that Rahul could be elevated as the leader of the franchisee . The franchise decided to weigh its options in the auction and then, a decision was made. “As the management, our main objective is to look at the options available and then decide on the best possible combination. K.L. has been with us for a few seasons now and he is not only a star batsman, but also leads from the front,” Wadia said. "He has silenced his critics. You will get to see his ability not just as a batsman but also as a captain. He was our unanimous choice," he added. Rahul was roped in by KXIP for a whopping INR 11 crores ahead of 2018 season. Since joining the franchise, the opener who also donned the wicket-keeping gloves amassed 659 and 593 runs in 2018 and 2019, respectively, topping the run scoring charts emerging among the highest run-getters in both the seasons. He scored one century and 12 half-centuries across two seasons while scoring at an average well over 50.