Indian Premier League franchise Kings XI Punjab were on Wednesday renamed as Punjab Kings ahead of the 2021 edition action that takes place on Thursday in Chennai.
“I liked the name Kings XI, but the team is a lot more than just 11 players. It was supposed to feel like a family, supposed to feel like a whole unit,” franchise captain KL Rahul told Star Sports. “I felt like we were on the right track last year as well, we played some unbelievable cricket and we managed to do some unreal things last season.
There were a lot of close games last year that we really felt like we should have won, and that has happened in the last three seasons that I have been part of Kings XI. So fingers crossed, this (name change) will bring us some good luck and bring our team together,” Rahul added.
The franchise, jointly owned by Mohit Burman, Ness Wadia, Preity Zinta, and Karan Paul, is yet to win an IPL title since the event started in 2008. The team is yet to win the title, having been a part of the event from the first season throughout.
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“The idea behind the new name is to add a fresh look and a fresh feel to the franchise. As with any product/service, everything has its own life cycle and we believe given the changing ethos and the audience taste we thought it was apt for the brand to go through a completely new refresh,” Mohit Burman, one of the co-owners of the franchise, had told ESPNCricinfo.
Speaking about the new brand identity, team CEO Satish Menon told PTI: “Punjab Kings is a more evolved brand name, and we understand it was the right time for us to move focus on the core brand itself.” “The change in brand identity is not about changing our brand ethos but celebrating our one-ness as we stand in unit like a family.
The new logo honors the liveliness and vibrancy of the brand and provides modern elements, while we stand out from rest of the teams.” In the tournament’s 13-year history, Kings were runners-up once (2014) and achieved a third-place finish on another occasion (2008).
They finished sixth in the 2020 edition, held in the UAE. Delhi Capitals, who also have not won the tournament yet, rebranded from Delhi Daredevils a couple of seasons back. Since then, they have reached the playoffs twice, resulting in a final appearance in 2020.