5 successful Indian cricketers who were IPL flops

The IPL is a great platform for youngsters to showcase their skills and get selected for their national teams. Since the start of the IPL, most of the senior Indian cricketers have shone for their respective franchises.

Yet, there are some successful cricketers who fared well for India in international cricket, but flopped in the IPL. Let us take a look at 5 Indian cricketers who could not replicate their international success in the Indian Premier League.

#5 Mohammad Kaif

Mohammad Kaif did not get going in the IPL at all

Mohammad Kaif, India’s most athletic fielder during Ganguly’s era as a captain, did not achieve as much success in the IPL as he would have liked. Kaif was in the Rajasthan Royals ranks in 2008, following which he went on to play for the Kings XI Punjab and the Royal Challengers Bangalore but never enjoyed success at any of the franchises.

His IPL statistics read 347 runs from 34 games at a strike rate of 105, failing to get past fifty even once. Not being a big hitter, he was never really tailor-made for this format of the game. Following his retirement, he served as the fielding coach of the Gujarat Lions.

#4 VVS Laxman

VVS Laxman, more of a Test player, was not suited for T20 cricket

The Indian Test veteran played for his state-based franchise Deccan Chargers in the first three editions of the IPL and for the Kochi Tuskers Kerala in 2011. Throughout his IPL career, Laxman showed that he never really belonged in the T20 version of the game.

His figures of 332 runs from 22 games at a strike rate of 106 and an average of 16 clearly suggest so. Unsurprisingly, he was not considered by any of the franchises after the exit of the Kochi Tuskers Kerala. Laxman now works with the Sunrisers Hyderabad team as a mentor where he has achieved success in the form of their title victory in 2016.

#3 Ishant Sharma

Ishant Sharma went wicket-less in the 2017 edition of the IPL

The lanky fast bowler was given a long rope in the IPL by various franchises despite showing a lack of promise. Ishant has played for the Kolkata Knight Riders, Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rising Pune Supergiant and the Kings XI Punjab.

In his IPL career, he has shown a lack of wicket-taking abilities and has not improved at all in terms of death bowling. He has just 64 wickets from 82 games in the IPL. In the 2017 edition, he hit his lowest point, failing to pick up a single wicket in the 6 games that he played for the Kings XI.

His economy rates too, were exorbitantly high. That season may have pretty much summed up his IPL career and there is no surprise that he was not picked by any of the franchises in 2018.

#2 Sourav Ganguly

Ganguly played for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the first three

seasons

The Prince of Calcutta, one of the most devastating openers of his era did not get going in the shortest format of the game. Ganguly was with the Kolkata Knight Riders for the first three years before making a move to the Pune Warriors India in 2011.

However, he could never replicate his international success in the IPL for any of these franchises. From 59 matches, he scored 1349 runs in the IPL at a low strike rate of 107. These numbers truly make for poor reading considering Ganguly's standards.

#1 Cheteshwar Pujara

Pujara's low strike rate was the reason for his failure in the IPL

The Saurashtra batsman who is often regarded as Indian cricket's next 'Wall' after Rahul Dravid had a torrid time in his short IPL stint.

Cheteshwar Pujara has played for the Kolkata Knight Riders, the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Kings XI Punjab. His IPL numbers are mediocre, 390 runs from 30 games at a strike rate of less than 100 with only one half-century.

Never a big striker of the ball, it was expected that Pujara would modify his game to adapt to the T20 format and emerge successful. However, it did not turn out that way and he finds himself out of favor in the IPL now. After being ignored for 4 straight years since 2015, it will be surprising if we see him again in the IPL.