The Kings XI Punjab have been one of the most disappointing teams in IPL 2016, as their place in the bottom of the standings, with two wins and five losses, suggest. After winning only one of their first six matches, the team management decided to strip David Miller off his captaincy, and hand it over to Murali Vijay.
Kings XI bounced back with a win in their last match, and the South African is confident his team can recover and come back with a bang in the remaining matches of the competition. Miller has cited Mumbai Indians as an example, pointing to the fact that the Rohit Sharma-led side won the IPL 2015 title, after a slow start.
"Last year, the Mumbai Indians lost four in a row, yet won the IPL... It's possible... Much would depend on just how much we want it (the title). We'd also need some luck going our way," The Telegraph, Calcutta quoted Miller as saying.
"A few catches which should have been held were dropped... Or, the ball fell just over the fielder's head... One or two decisions didn't go our way... We were off luck, as they say. Often, the little things make a big difference in the shortest format. Hopefully, our luck will turn."
Not only have Kings XI's performances been poor this season, but they failed to impress last season as well, failing to reach the playoffs. Kings XI's best spell in the IPL was in 2014, when they finished runners-up, losing to Kolkata Knight Riders in the final of the competition.
"It all comes down to performance, or the lack of it. When we did well, certain players did really well... Then, collectively, the team chipped in too. Somebody played a blinder, or somebody had a great spell... Some individual or the other stepped up," Miller said.
During IPL 2014, Miller and Glenn Maxwell were standout performers for the team, scoring 446 and 552 runs respectively. The two overseas players are huge for the team, but they have failed with the bat as Miller has scored 107 runs and Maxwell 95, which has led to poor results in the competition.
It is time that the duo fires for the Kings XI in IPL 2016, and help them climb up the standings. They resemble a different team altogether if players like Miller and Maxwell fire in the competition.
