Punjab Kings' skipper KL Rahul and his teammate Chris Gayle while reflecting on the new name of their franchise said that they absolutely loved the name.
Previously known as Kings XI Punjab, the Punjab-based franchise has revealed its new logo and name as they made the official announcement on Wednesday, a day ahead of the mini-auction in Chennai.
Punjab Kings is one of three franchises that are yet to win an IPL title, the other two being the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the Delhi Capitals (DC).
IPL 2021: Kings XI Punjab rechristened as Punjab Kings ahead of 2021 IPL
In the last edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020), Punjab Kings appointed new skipper Kl Rahul along with the new coaching staff led by former Indian spinner Anil Kumble.
Punjab Kings didn’t have a great start to the tournament last year as they lost six of their first seven games. However, after a poor start, the KL Rahul-led side won five matches on the trot in the second half of the season but failed to qualify for the playoffs as they finished on sixth in the points table.
Addressing the new name of the franchise skipper KL Rahul admitted that he liked the previous name ‘Kings XI’ but was quick to accept that team is more the 11 players and was confident that change in the name will bring good fortune for the Punjab based franchise.
"I liked the name Kings XI but the team is a lot more than just 11 players. We are supposed to be like a family, supposed to feel like a family, supposed to feel like a whole unit. I am quite confident that the change in name will bring us good fortune this year," KL Rahul told Star Sports.
Reflecting the same Chris Gayle, who is an essential part of Punjab Kings, backed Kl Rahul for his comments and said that he loved the name.
“Absolutely, I love it. Sometimes, it's good to have a change as well. I like what KL said. It's not about the 11 players. It's going to get everyone more involved. Punjab Kings is the way to go." Chris Gayle said.
The IPL auction is set to kick start on 18th February in Chennai.
(Star Sports inputs)
