The Indian Premier League has been dominated by the international players so far. The top five lists of most run-getters and most wicket takers feature international stars, with the exception of a few Indian players.
Virat Kohli is the current Orange Cap holder as his sublime World T20 form has continued in the IPL as well. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan have also justified their reputation in the tournament so far, while the likes of Ashish Nehra and Jasprit Bumrah are bowling well in the tournament.
However, all the Indian international stars haven’t set the IPL on fire. There are several stars who featured in India’s World T20 squad but have had a disappointing campaign so far in this year’s competition.
Here we take a look at those Indian international cricketers who have failed to perform well in the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League.
5) Hardik Pandya
The 22-year-old all-rounder from Baroda achieved overnight stardom after Indian’s nerve-jangling one-run win over neighbours Bangladesh in the World T20. The right-arm pacer successfully defended 10 runs in the last over and saved India from serious humiliation.
The limited-overs specialist was touted by many as the next big thing in Indian cricket, and many also called him the all-rounder team India has wanted for long. He plays for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL and is one of their key players.
However, the stylish all-rounder hasn’t found his feet in this year’s IPL so far. In 10 matches he has scored only 37 runs at a disappointing average of 6.16 and with a strike-rate of 67.27. He has also failed to impress with the ball.
He has picked up only three wickets in the tournament at an average of 79.75 and an expensive economy rate of 9.76.
4) Pawan Negi
The 23-year-old all-rounder from Delhi became a household name after the Delhi Daredevils bought him for Rs. 8.5 crore in the auctions last year. He represented India in the Asia Cup T20 and also in India’s World T20 squad. The youngster was touted as one of the key players of the Delhi-based franchise.
The Delhi-born player has had a very disappointing IPL so far. The left-handed batsman has scored only 51 runs in 6 matches with a strike-rate of 108.51 which is considered below par in the shortest format of the game.
Negi has also failed to justify his price tag with his bowling. He hasn’t picked up a single wicket in this year’s competition and has bowled with an extremely expensive economy rate of 10.83. The Delhi team management’s decision to drop him for some matches was a reflection of his poor shows.
3) Harbhajan Singh
The 35-year-old off-spinner made a comeback to the national side after some time out but didn’t get many chances to show his calibre. The Punjab-born player has been a key figure in the Mumbai Indians team since its first season.
Like his Mumbai Indians teammate Hardik Pandya, Harbhajan has also had a relatively quiet tournament so far. In 10 matches he has picked up only seven wickets at an average of 39.14 and with a fairly expensive economy rate of 8.05. The experienced bowler clearly hasn’t reached his best yet, and he hasn't been too effective for the defending champions.
The right-handed batsman has also failed with the bat except the first match where he played an unbeaten knock of 45. He has scored 75 runs in the tournament with a sluggish strike-rate of 108.69.
2) Ravichandran Ashwin
The 29-year-old off-spinner has been India’s No.1 spinner in the last few years in all the three formats. The Chennai-born cricketer was last year’s highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. He is also among one of the most successful IPL bowlers, and he went to the newly formed team Rising Pune Supergiants in the IPL players draft.
However, ever since India’s World T20 semi-final loss to eventual champions West Indies where he bowled a costly no-ball, it has been a tough time for him. In 10 IPL matches, he has only picked up three wickets at an average of 72 and with a disappointing strike-rate of 60.
Ashwin’s poor form with the ball is one of the biggest reasons behind his team’s standing in the bottom half of the points table.
Ashwin, who has two Test centuries to his name, has also had a disappointing tournament with the bat. He has managed to score only 11 runs in this year’s competition. His poor form with the ball is also a factor why captain MS Dhoni has used him for only 30 overs out of available 40.
1) MS Dhoni
The 34-year-old limited-overs captain of the Indian cricket team is one of the most successful captains of all time. The Ranchi-born right-handed batsman is also one of the fiercest hitters of the cricket ball.
Dhoni is considered the best finisher in limited-overs cricket by many. After his former franchise Chennai Super Kings was suspended for two years, the wicketkeeper-batsman went to the Rising Pune Supergiants in the IPL players draft.
In 10 matches so far he has only scored 182 runs at an average of 30.33 and with a modest strike-rate of 133.82. His highest score in this year’s tournament is 41 which is very unlike him. What the stats don't reveal, however, is that Dhoni has repeatedly had the chance to win a match for his team by accelerating the scoring rate, but has failed to do so. The Pune team relies heavily on his big hitting abilities but he hasn't quite delivered in this term.
It has been a very disappointing IPL for Dhoni as a captain as well. His team is currently in the bottom half of the points table with only three wins out of 10, and it looks extremely difficult for them to qualify for the playoffs.
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