IPL 2020 Auction: KL Rahul to lead KXIP, confirms co-owner Ness Wadia

KL Rahul will lead Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in IPL 2020, the franchise confirmed at the auction in Kolkata on Thursday.

Rahul is set to become the fifth Indian and overall 12th player to lead Punjab in the IPL. KXIP's previous skipper, Ravichandran Ashwin, was traded to Delhi Capital in November.

"We are happy to appoint Rahul as our captain for the upcoming season. He has been through a lot in the last year or so and has now come back strongly. 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," KXIP co-owner Ness Wadia told PTI during the auction on Thursday.

With six wins and eight losses, KXIP finished sixth on the points table and only had Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore below them. KXIP are among the three sides who are yet to win the IPL trophy, the other two being Delhi and Bangalore.

Rahul had substandard seasons in the IPL before he was signed by KXIP ahead of the 2018 IPL season for a whopping INR 11 crore. Rahul went on to score 659 and 593 runs in the 2018 and 2019 seasons respectively and was among the top-scorers of both the editions. His two seasons with KXIP includes 12 fifties and a century, while he has scored runs at a commendable average well above 50.

Meanwhile, KXIP got back one of their former captains, Glenn Maxwell in the squad on Thursday. Maxwell earlier played for KXIP, who seemed keen on having him back as they triumphed in his bidding war. KXIP secured the star all-rounder for INR 10.75 crore. Apart from KXIP, Maxwell has also played for Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals.

KXIP have already bought quite a few players including Jimmy Neesham, Deepak Hooda and Sheldon Cottrell.