The 2017 edition of the Indian Premier League came to an end in Hyderabad on Sunday, and we have witnessed some fantastic and electrifying performances. While the cash-rich league has proven to be a platform for youngsters to reveal their talent, it has also helped some “old horses” show what they are still capable of. This was pretty evident in this year’s IPL when players like Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa, Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina registered their names in the most runs list.
But these performances aside, there are some players who didn’t live up to their reputation and disappointed the audience in one way or the other. Here’s a list of players who have disappointed this season.
1. Virat Kohli : The aura that this batsman carries is something which every player in the world wishes to have. Last year’s orange cap holder suffered a setback when he was ruled out of the initial stage of the tournament.
King Kohli had set the bar so high last year by scoring 919 runs in the group stage of IPL that this year expectations were sky high from this batsman. Kohli managed to score only 308 runs at an average of 30.14 which is dismal for a batsman like him. 4 fifties in 10 games are acceptable for most batsmen, but the other 6 games were the problem for Kohli.
2. Shane Watson : “The bigger the names, the bigger the performances.” This statement didn’t really apply to Shane Watson, who is known for his game-changing ability. He ended up scoring just 71 runs in 8 matches at an average of 11.83. This type of performance from such a valuable player can’t help any team.
To be fair to him, the Royal Challengers Bangalore, known as “chokers,” choked not because of one player, but because all the other players let them down.
3. Mandeep Singh : Another challenger from Bangalore who bit the dust in this year’s IPL. No doubt Mandy possesses a great talent, but he was unable to leave an impression on the spectators. In his 11 innings, he scored 188 runs at an average of 18.80 with a strike rate just above 100, hurting his team at its best. Mandeep needed to step up to prove a point and score some runs for his dignity. He did not.
4. Glenn Maxwell : This Aussie who captained Kings XI Punjab had a great time in the previous editions of the tournament and almost took them to the playoffs this time. Even so, Maxi had trouble finding rhythm and consistency this year. Despite a few good innings against Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders, his stays at the crease were mostly brief and uneventful. More troubling is that he was unable to go past 50, even though he had been batting at number 3. In their last, must-win game, Kings XI desperately needed their captain to fire, but he was unable to deliver.
5. Karun Nair : Karun Nair was considered one of the most important players for Delhi Daredevils, especially after his international fame & scoring a triple century against England in Tests. His responsibility was to hold the batting of DD together. But he wasn’t able to do that too well. His 14 innings have yielded just 281 runs at 21.61, with a lone fifty. While he did well supporting other batsman, his own game was sadly lacking. Hopefully, Delhi (or another franchise) will give him a chance to realize his potential.
6. Rohit Sharma : Mumbai Indians’ captain hasn’t been in form after recovering from the injury which forced him to miss a major part of the grand home season. Although he got his team home to the final of IPL 2017, and won with his captaincy, lifting the trophy for the 3rd time. But in the Indian team, Rohit is there as an opener not as a captain.
In the entire season, the hitman didn’t really fire and ended up scoring 333 runs in 17 matches with the highest score of 67. He wasn’t able to pick the googly from leg-spinners and struggled with his timing. The man who holds the record of highest individual score in the ODIs needs to pull up his socks as the Champions trophy is inching closer.
7. David Miller : David Miller has been out of form since the last season and the situation was the same for Kings XI Punjab this year as well. Kings XI needed their 4 overseas players to step up and perform but Miller struggled all through. Nowhere near the destructive batsman feared as a powerful finisher, Miller had 83 runs at an average of 27.66 and a strike rate of 103.75 from the 4 innings he has played. Punjab needed Miller to hit form, but they didn’t give him enough chances.
8. MS Dhoni : Former India and RPS captain MS Dhoni seems to have lost his touch and looks to be struggling with his form. Captain cool has just the one fifty to his name, from helping his side beat the Sunrisers Hyderabad by scoring 61* which is also his best so far in this year’s IPL. Just 290 runs from 16 innings at 26.36 don’t do justice to his abilities. Although his keeping skills were up to the mark, he struggled with batting throughout.
Next year, he will probably move back to CSK. As an Indian fan, I hope he finds his touch before the Champions Trophy.
9. Stuart Binny : Stuart Binny did not make any notable contribution to the RCB side this season. He was picked as an all-rounder but was not utilized by Kohli. He bowled only 36 balls in 8 matches and took just 4 wickets. As far as batting went, he scored 78 runs at an average of 15.6 and strike rate of just 126.82.
10. Deepak Hooda : Deepak Hooda is a great talent and a future prospect for the Indian cricket team. But, he didn’t perform well this season. It seemed like he only wanted to strike every ball out of the ground and not play it on merit. Hence, he ended up giving his wicket away after scoring one or two boundaries. He made 78 runs from 10 matches at an average of 26 and a strike rate of 150.
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