The Indian Premier League has earned a reputation as a stage which has witnessed some wild swing of fortunes over the years. And the annual jamboree didn’t disappoint one bit in that respect even this season. The season saw Royal Challengers Bangalore script a fantastic turnaround after they were languishing at the bottom of the table to reach the finals.
The same season also saw the most successful IPL captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s new side missing out on the Wooden Spoon by a whisker. Likewise, there were names that were expected to bring their form from last season to set the stage on fire in 2016, but a switch of team didn’t serve them well. Here is a look at some of those names who did amazingly well for their past teams but whose fortunes nosedived as their jersey colours changed in 2016.
#1 James Faulkner – Gujarat Lions
The Ausralian has emerged as one of the top all-rounders in the shorter versions of the game in the last couple of years. His previous franchise Rajasthan Royals reaped rewards by picking him up in his prime and Faulkner served the team more than well with both the bat and ball. The newly formed Gujarat Lions, thus, were not wrong in pinning big hopes on the Tasmanian when they bought him at the pre-auctions.
But in the orange jersey of Gujarat Lions, Faulkner looked far from his best. He was neither the potent force with the ball that he used to be for Royals, nor the finisher that he has become for Australia in recent times. Captain Suresh Raina persisted with him for the first seven matches but he warmed the bench for the latter part of the tournament as in those seven matches Faulkner had just two wickets to show against his name.
#2 Ravichandran Ashwin – Rising Pune Supergiants
Much like his carrom ball, even Ashwin’s IPL 2016 season was a mystery. No one could read what transpired between him and his India and Chennai skipper MS Dhoni. Though he played all the matches for the Rising Pune Supergiants, the off-spinner was no more the go to bowler for his captain this season. For most part of the season, Ashwin was overshadowed, first by Murugan Ashwin and then by Australian leggie Adam Zampa.
In most of the matches, Ashwin came on to bowl after the halfway stage of the innings, in complete contrast to previous seasons with Chennai when Dhoni trusted him even with the new ball. Having lost his skipper’s confidence, Ashwin’s off breaks also lacked the fizz and threat of previous seasons. The off-spinner snared 10 scalps in 14 matches but that came at a price as his average touched 31 and economy jumped up to 7.5 in contrast to last season’s 5.84.
#3 Sanju Samson – Delhi Daredevils
Sanju Samson was the find of the 2013 edition and one youngster who Rahul Dravid asked the cricket world to watch out for. And when Rahul Dravid says something, the cricket world definitely pays attention to it. And so did the Delhi Daredevils’ think tank of which Dravid himself was a part this season. Subsequently, Samson was signed for an impressive 4.2 crore by the Delhi franchise and was given a position in the top order of the team.
Although Samson bettered his figures from last season, he still couldn’t fulfill the promise that he is so full off. Samson was a vital cog in the wheel of both Rajasthan and Delhi setup, but his contributions for the Daredevils were neither extraordinary nor eye-catching like his old feats with the Royals.
#4 Pravin Tambe – Gujarat Lions
There have been few tales more endearing and inspiring than Pravin Tambe’s IPL journeys. Picked at the ripe age of 42 by Rajasthan Royals, Tambe turned out to be the team’s leading spinner in the 2014 season of IPL and the Champions League, where he had a fairy tale of a tournament when he finished with 12 wickets in 5 matches.
The leggie was picked up by Gujarat Lions in the auctions and was expected to share spin duties with Ravindra Jadeja, but after a few games at the beginning of the tournament, Suresh Raina’s confidence began to wane in him and he didn’t complete his full quota of overs in six of the seven matches he bowled in. Although the Mumbaikar still gives his all on the field, he isn’t growing any younger and this edition might be the last chapter in the tale of Tambe.
#5 Pawan Negi – Delhi Daredevils
To say that the 23-year-old left arm spinner had a season to forget would be an understatement. The ex-Chennai Super Kings all-rounder had a season of nightmarish proportions with Delhi Daredevils as Negi averaged an embarrassing 84 with the ball for Delhi in 2016 in the 8 opportunities he received.
Pawan Negi’s fortunes took an 180-degree turn within a month, having come to the tournament with a price tag of 8.5 crores, he finished it as probably the biggest disappointment. Surely, the blue and red of Delhi couldn’t bring the best out of the left armer who had been an important part of the Chennai setup. Expected to make a big impact on the tournament, the all-rounder clicked neither with the bat nor ball and after a first few matches lost his skipper Zaheer Khan’s confidence.
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