4 reasons why KXIP might clinch their maiden IPL title this year

#4 X-Factor

One thing that differentiates a good team from a champion unit is the presence of an X-Factor in the side.

If you see all the perennial successful franchises in the IPL over the years, the presence of an X-factor serves as a common denominator in their surge towards glory. CSK had DJ Bravo, Mumbai had the Pandya brothers, Sunrisers had Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and KKR had Sunil Narine and Andre Russell in their ranks. KXIP had Glenn Maxwell in their ranks when they qualified for the IPL finals in 2014.

So, this leads to the question as to who is KXIP's X-Factor for the 2018 season? One name that instantly comes to mind is Australia's all-rounder Marcus Stoinis. Stoinis shot into fame when he pulverized the Kiwi attack into submission with a breathtaking 146 at Auckland. His blitz earned him an IPL contract with the Kings XI Punjab.

Despite the franchise finishing at the bottom, Stoinis made a sizeable impact, scoring 146 runs in five innings at 135.18 while scalping eight wickets in the process. How Stoinis fares this season, might just define KXIP's campaign of 2018.