IPL 2018: 4 players from the Indian team who disappointed in the league stage

The IPL league stage has ended and now it is time for playoffs. At this stage, the franchises expect their senior players to get into the groove and deliver.

However, there have been some senior Indian players who are regular in the current Indian setup and did not quite make a mark in this IPL. Expectations were high from these players, as they are seasoned campaigners who have 'been there done that'.

They disappointed their fans and team management. Those players whose teams are through would hope to put up a good show during the playoffs. Here are four senior Indian players who disappointed during the league stage.

---

#4 Ravichandran Ashwin

Ashwin did not lead from the front with the ball

Ravichandran Ashwin's first year with his new franchise did not go well, not even on the personal front.

The Kings XI Punjab skipper's dip in form with the ball has been one of the reasons for his side's inconsistency.

In 14 matches, Ashwin picked up just 10 wickets at 41 apiece. His economy rate of 8.09 is slightly high as well, considering his standards.

Throughout the course of this IPL, Ashwin tried a lot of variations including leg break, carrom ball and orthodox googly, but nothing seemed to work for him.

Certainly, the Kings XI Punjab would have hoped for more wickets from their captain.

A dismal show in this IPL also hampers his chances of donning the colored clothing again in international cricket severely.

#3 Manish Pandey

Pandey has struggled to get going for the SRH

Manish Pandey was picked up by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for a whopping 11 crores at the IPL Auction 2018.

Barring a couple of good knocks, the season did not go well for Pandey as he has struggled to get going for the Orange Army.

In 14 matches for the SRH, Pandey scored just 276 runs averaging 28 at a strike rate of 120. He has been criticised for consuming a lot of deliveries in the middle overs and thereby leaving too much to do at the death.

Lack of strike rotation has primarily been the reason for his below-par strike rate.

His performance in the second half of the season have made his overall figures look less ugly.

Pandey is a crucial batsman in the SRH middle order and will have a key role to play in the playoffs.

#2 Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane's consistency is the key to RR's success

Ajinkya Rahane has been one of the most consistent openers in the IPL for quite a few years now.

His silky strokes are a treat to watch in a format which forces batsmen to bring out brute power most of the time.

Nobody plays the role of sheet anchor better than Ajinkya Rahane in the IPL. However, this season, the Rajasthan Royals skipper was a notable absentee from the list of top 10 run-getters.

In 13 innings, he has scored just 324 runs at an average of 27, going past the score of 50 only once.

Many would like to say that captaincy has put added pressure on him. Also, he has been trying to go too hard and up the ante in the powerplay which is very unlike Rahane.

He would want to get back to his run-scoring ways as the RR need their skipper to lead from the front in the playoffs.

#1 Rohit Sharma

Rohit's poor form was the reason behind Mumbai's failure

The Mumbai Indians had a terrible season in 2018. One of their worries throughout the season was Rohit Sharma's form with the bat.

Having been retained by the defending champions, Sharma opened in first two games but moved down the order at No.4 for the remainder of the season.

He wasn't able to bring out his best performance. Sharma amassed only 286 runs striking at just 133.

Mumbai Indians always rely heavily on Sharma and won the odd couple of games when he fired this season.

Experts would like to say that opening the innings would have given him better chance and more deliveries to make a big impact.

However, he himself believed that batting at No.4 adds more balance to the side. Also, this is the first time in the history of the IPL that Rohit Sharma hasn’t gone past 300 runs in a season.

---

Our tournament homepage has IPL live score, Match Analysis, Detailed Stats, Fantasy Tips, Controversies, Match Predictions and much more. Bookmark it now!