New Delhi: Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 Player Auction, captain of Punjab Kings KL Rahul revealed the missing elements in the team saying that they need a middle-order batsman, who can close down games, and added that having a fast bowler is "always exciting".
"I think it has been quite straightforward and obvious in the last three seasons that we have missed somebody in the middle order with experience who can close down games and win us games in the middle. And someone who can bowl fast is always exciting, it's quite a weapon to have in the team. These are two things that we missed, or we did have in the team but unfortunately, they couldn't come good," KL Rahul was quoted as saying by official broadcasters.
On Wednesday, Kings XI Punjab had announced the unveiling of a new brand identity i.e., Punjab Kings and logo. "The new brand name enhances the connection, that the team has built over the years with its fan base around the world and helps it to stand out amongst the competition," the franchise had said in a statement.
Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta said everybody at some point has rebranded and she thinks it was the time for them.
"We have decided to rebrand our team, we have a new logo, a new name - I mean not really a new name, it's pretty close by. But we are now going to be officially called Punjab Kings. Every brand has a natural progression over the years. If you look at other teams, everybody at some point has rebranded and I think for us this was the time. Also, over the years, I have particularly seen people say - 'Hey, we love KXIP', they were never really calling it Kings XI, so we just thought we will simplify it," Zinta said.
Also Read| IPL 2021 Auction Live Updates: 291 players to go under hammer today
Reflecting on the upcoming auction, Zinta said it is a little "nerve-wracking" but exciting and added that they have done a lot of homework.
"It is a little nerve-wracking, we are kind of excited - we do have a big purse this time and probably the biggest purse. There are certain slots that we absolutely need to fill, and we are going to try to do our best. Auctions are usually very dynamic; you don't know who is going to lose the plot. If one team decided to you know, NO ---There's always this balance, you keep thinking you can put someone here - it's a whole thing that you have to look at; they are really dynamic. We have done a lot of homework this time and I'm crossing my fingers; we can focus on that. With all the COVID protocols, it's been a little tough, but we will know what's going to happen soon. Let's wait and watch," she said.
