The IPL has been a springboard for many players’ international careers. Playing well in the IPL resulted in more media coverage, which automatically shot up the selection chances of a player by a long margin.
However, for some, the reverse has been the case.
Some players play incredibly well for the national teams, so much so that they are regulars in the international scene. But in the IPL, those lions become cats as their growls become a weak meow amidst the flamboyance of the Indian Premier League.
Indian regulars aren’t an exception either as we have seen some regulars struggling for form in the world’s most viewed cricket club competition.
And here are 5 Indian regulars that have struggled for consistency in the IPL.
#1 Ishant Sharma
At one point of time, Ishant Sharma was India’s greatest hope in the pace department. It was in those days when he tormented Australian batsmen on Australian pitches with sheer pace and rapid bounce from good length.
However, that was a long time ago. These days, he is regarded as somewhat of washed up pacer who couldn’t live up to his potential. But there is still time for him to make an Ashish Nehra-esque comeback to the team.
But if the IPL is the basis on which his selection would be made, then his chances have just taken a severe hit.
It is not that this was the only IPL where he failed to perform. His record in the IPL, overall, has been unimpressive, to say the least. In 70 IPL games, he managed to take only 58 wickets at an average of 35.34—which is hardly anything to be proud of in T20s.
#2 Mohammed Shami
For someone who has an average of 24.6 in ODIs, Mohammed Shami’s numbers in IPL is atrocious, to say the least.
When fit, he is one of India’s regular bowlers and always finds his name on the squad. However, it seems like T20 is not his game as his over-expensive nature doesn’t give him the space to become a dangerous bowler in the shortest format of the game.
In the IPL, he has only 13 wickets from 23 games at an average of 53.15 and an economy rate of just under 9—further testifying his ineffectiveness in the most glamorous domestic cricket tournament in the world.
#3 Umesh Yadav
And Umesh Yadav completes the hat trick of fast bowlers on this list. It seems like Indian fast bowlers that were once—or even now—regulars in the national team don’t like bowling in the IPL.
When he broke into the scene, it was this very tournament that shot him to the limelight. Now, about 5 years later, he is one of those bowlers who have been better for their national sides than in the IPL.
With an average of over 30, he has taken 74 wickets in 80 IPL games with an economy rate of 8.41. Numbers that don’t really justify an Indian team regular.
#4 Dinesh Karthik
The case of Dinesh Karthik is a curious one. While his batting method and technique is meticulous, his performances just don’t reflect it. At his peak, he is perhaps India’s best wicket-keeper batsman. However, those days come rarely.
Despite living under the shade of MS Dhoni, he has carved up an identity for himself—which alone speaks volumes about his abilities.
However, his numbers are far from what one would label as great. With 121 innings under his belt, he has 2542 runs with an average of 23.76 and a strike-rate of 124.24. These numbers aren’t that bad, but his inconsistency has always been a concern—and a hindrance—for the selectors.
#5 Yuvraj Singh
This name might surprise many—and, frankly, it should. Yuvraj Singh is one of the greatest match-winners India has ever produced. In the tournaments that he played well, the World T20 2007 and the World Cup 2011 respectively, India went on to lift the trophy.
However, he is far from the ideal player in the IPL. In fact, he is far from the Yuvraj Singh that we know of. This is a man who hit 6 sixes in an over just because he was angry at Andrew Flintoff. Yet, in the IPL, his radiant fervor with the bat becomes faint spark of a dying candle.
His numbers tell the story. In 105 IPL innings, he has only 2336 runs at an average of a meagre 25.39. While his strike rate of 130.14 is staggering, he could do a lot better —and even he knows it.
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