After a disastrous outing last season Kings XI Punjab has rallied together under the captaincy of Glenn Maxwell to deliver some clinical performances and stay in the hunt to qualify for the playoffs. Incidentally, for the third straight year, Kings XI have had a new captain and there was some uncertainty surrounding the team. However, according to opener Hashim Amla, Maxwell has led from the front and instilled a lot of confidence in the side to do well. After another session at the nets, Hashim Amla spoke to indianexpress.com and said, "Maxi has been very good this year. If you look at the IPL each season then most teams have had ups and downs and it's never smooth sailing. For us, Glenn Maxwell has done well and kept our campaign alive and on track. We have had ups and downs and we are learning from every game and with that, we are trying to find the right combination. But yeah Maxwell's been good and brought the best out of us" (Results | Fixtures | Points Table) After amassing 315 runs in eight matches for Kings XI Punjab, Amla has once more shown that old-school batting still holds importance in cricket’s shortest format. When asked if he added something extra for this season, the South-African said," For me, no changes are required as T20 has been there for long now and from each season I learn a lot. But for this season no extra changes." Adding that T20 is all not about power, he said,"Guys like Kane and Virat and AB to some extent, are those who can clear the ropes and play proper cricket shots to get runs. So it shows that one should play the ball according to its merit and can still keep scoring runs." However, he did say that batting in top 3 allows the opportunity to play normal cricket shots and get value for them. "With the field staying up, you can score at a brisk pace and set it up for guys who bat at the end," Amla explained. With 8 points from 9 matches, KXIP has to win all their games from here on to keep the hopes of qualifying for the play-offs alive. For this to happen Hashim Amla they have to step up their game and come good on all three fronts of the game - batting, bowling and fielding. "Teams who have been most consistent on these three platforms have done well and been successful. If you look at the top teams you can't say they are batting heavy or bowling heavy. We have had excelled with the bat at times and sometimes with the ball. But our formula for success is to deliver a good all-around performance." Comparing the IPL with other T20 leagues Amla said, "The IPL is busier, games are pretty close (happening one after the other)." "The crowds are brilliant and nowhere else do you get such crowds on a consistent basis. So it's really enjoyable out here," he added before heading back to the nets.
