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The thrilling glamour of IPL is enrolling all the stirring vibes over the world. It was all started with the low-scoring clash between RCB and CSK, which was comfortably prevailed by the men from Chennai. It was a great kick-start to the season. Right now, teams like CSK, KKR, MI and, KXIP are sitting on the top half of the table and, SRH and DC also fighting it hard in the league to qualify for the playoffs. But the boys from Rajasthan and Bangalore are in a really miserable situation, who haven't been able to express themselves and are at the foot of the table.
Now, we are entering into the business end of the season and every game from here on will be deciding the fate of the team. Interpreting individually, every player wants to raise their numbers as high as they can, wants to win matches for their team and to grab the opportunities as they come towards them. We have seen many beautiful knocks by the batsmen and match-winning spells by the bowlers. Some players are peaking at the right time but some are finding it hard to manifest their mettle in the tournament. We have made a playing XI out of them. The criteria are that they should have played 3 matches or more. So, let us look at the players who are far from their purple patches and have really flopped thus far this season.
Openers
#1 Ambati Rayudu - CSK
The batting form of Ambati Rayudu is causing a massive concern both in the Indian cricket circles as well as the CSK camp. This year hasn’t been fruitful for the batsman from Hyderabad and he seems to be struggling to get runs. It was thought that he would end Team India’s number four conundrum for the World Cup 2019.
However, the way he is playing at the moment is raising a lot of questions. Rayudu hasn’t been able to time the ball well which is otherwise one of his biggest strengths. He isn’t able to find the gaps either and this is leading to him subjecting himself to a lot of pressure. He is averaging 22 in the competition with a below-par strike rate of 89.26.
Some pundits are even ruling him out of the World Cup squad for his poor run of form lately. He did score some runs against RR in Jaipur but the knock was an itchy one.
#2 Moeen Ali - RCB
This has been a forgetful season for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Collectively, the whole team hasn't been able to apply themselves and there hasn't been any quality performance from the bunch. The overseas department of the team has disappointed largely.
One of the players for the same is Moeen Ali. The Englishman was retained this year by the franchise. This season he has an average of only 18 with the bat and has scored only 74 runs in all 6 matches that he has played. He is not offering anything different with the ball too, with only taking 2 wickets so far this season by the off-spinner and averaging 48.50 with the ball.
Middle Order
#3 Manish Pandey - SRH
The flamboyant right-hand top-order batsman, Pandey scored an unbeaten 114 for the Royal Challengers Bangalore against the Deccan Chargers in IPL 2009. As he became the first Indian to score a ton in the IPL. After appearing for few franchises, he was acquired by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for a sum of ₹11 crores which made him their most expensive buy in the 2018 IPL Player Auction and the Sunrisers instilled faith in him by retaining him for the 2019 edition too.
But 2019 IPL has been a dire season for the batsman. For the first matches of Sunrisers, Manish didn't get enough chances as he was batting quite down the order for the team. Conjointly, in the first 3 matches, Bairstow-Warner partnership single-handedly destroyed the opposition themselves. As the chances came along, he didn't take them well. In 6 matches this season he has just 54 runs with a disappointing strike-rate of 93.10.
#4 Shimron Hetmyer - RCB
Shimron Hetmyer endeared himself to the Indian crowd with his six hitting ability during the Windies’ limited overs tour of India last year; the 22-year old scored 259 runs in 5 the ODIs – the runs being scored at a strike-rate of 140. Royal Challengers Bangalore snapped him up for a fee of ₹4.2 Crore at the Player Auction prior to VIVO IPL 2019.
Much was expected from the Guyana-born thus. But the dismal season of RCB was just not what he had hoped for. The 22-year-old has had a horrendous IPL so far, having got out for single-digit scores in every other occasion. In four matches, Hetmyer has scored 15 runs at an awful average of 3.75. Every other team has been able to get the better of the southpaw.
#5 Yusuf Pathan - SRH
The elder of the famous Pathan brothers, Yusuf is famed around the circuit as one of the ferocious strikers of the cricket ball and is valued as a big match player. Pathan was retained for ₹1.9 crores by SRH in the auction for the 2019 season.
But this has been a difficult season for middle-order batsmen of SRH, whether it be Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda or Yusuf Pathan. The 36-year-old has not been hitting the ball nicely, averaging just 16 in this season of IPL thus far. Besides, with a strike-rate of below 87, is totally unacceptable. He really needs to spend some more time in the middle and also needs to step up his game, if he really wants to solve some of SRH's middle order problems this year.
Wicket Keeper
#6 Dinesh Karthik - KKR
Dinesh Karthik is one of the most experienced wicketkeeper-batsman in the scheme of things. He led the KKR team to playoffs in 2018 and would be determined to go one step further towards the coveted silverware in the 2019 edition. He had an exceptional 2018 season with the bat for the team, scoring just about 500 runs with an average of touching 50.
Though his team is doing well enough to be in the race to qualify for the playoffs, Dinesh Karthik has been performing underwhelmingly. The 33-year-old has scored just 93 runs 7 matches so far and hasn't looked in great touch whatsoever. To be sure about his World Cup 2019 contention he has to make most of his chances before the squad announcement is made.
#7 Colin De Grandhomme - RCB
Not a surprise as another RCB player has unfolded in this list. Colin de Grandhomme is a Zimbabwean-born-New Zealand cricketer who plays as an all-rounder in the New Zealand team. In 2018, he was picked up by Bangalore for ₹2.2 crore from a base price of 75 lakh.
This season he was retained by the franchise. Colin De Grandhomme has had a dull number of performances this season. He scored 43 runs in 3 matches for the team and was dropped in place for Marcus Stoinis. He didn't offer much with the bowl too as the 4 overs that he bowled in the competition cost the team 45 runs in total. The New-Zealander was named in the squad for World Cup 2019 of his national team earlier this month.
Bowlers
#8 Jaydev Unadkat - RR
The 2017 VIVO IPL season was one of the best for Jaydev Unadkat, who claimed 24 wickets from 12 matches for the Rising Pune Supergiant. Succeeding season, with 11 wickets in 15 games, Unadkat was probably bogged down by the expectation of a high salary he received at the IPL Player Auction 2018. However, after being released initially, RR bought him back for ₹8.4 crore at the auction prior to the 2019 season, showing faith in his ability.
But repeatedly, this season has not been productive for him. His off-cutters were well read by the batsmen and he was smashed all around the park. With consistently offering runs with the economy of 12, he was also dropped by the team. He averages about 50 with the ball thus far in the competition. If he really wants to back Rajasthan Royals to qualify for the playoff, he individually, really needs to step up his game.
#9 Andrew Tye - KXIP
Winner of the 2018 IPL Purple Cap, Australian Andrew Tye finished the season with 24 wickets that included four four-wicket hauls. His mixed bag of variations confounded opposition batsmen from all franchises.
But this season is more of a forgetful for the Australian. He has not looked the incisive bowler who fueled Kings XI Punjab dream last year. He has not been effective in taking wickets for his team. Tye has not been influential this season for KXIP and the stats clearly states that. In 3 matches that he has played so far, he has bagged up only 2 wickets for his team. Furthermore, the economy of 9.6 per over this season is what worrying the KXIP's supporters.
With half the season gone, KXIP are searching for the Tye who claimed the IPL Purple Cap for taking the most wickets in the last edition. It will be hoping that the Western Australian paceman regains the cutting edge sooner rather than later so that they can stay on track to pick up a berth in the playoffs.
#10 Umesh Yadav - RCB
Popularly known as the ‘Strongman’ in the Indian dressing room, Umesh Yadav is an extremely tough built guy with supreme fitness. He can clock speeds in the high 140s and swing it at the same time. Yadav had one of his best seasons in 2018, picking 20 wickets for RCB at 7.5 economy rate per over. He was seaming the new ball upfront and was picking wickets regularly in the powerplay.
But this season hasn't been the identical for the 31-year-old pacer from Vidarbha. He has not been productive at all for his team, with just 2 wickets in his bag in 4 matches that he has played so far. Also, he has been leaking runs at a high rate of 8.50 for the team. With his consistent poor bowling performances, the speedster has surely lost a golden opportunity to impress the selectors for his contention to be the part of the 2019 World Cup squad.
#11 Shardul Thakur - CSK
Coming at number 11 is the CSK pacer Shardul Thakur who is having an ineffective season so far for his team. Similar to Umesh Yadav, he also had an excellent 2018 IPL with 16 wickets to his name. He was bowling quick and was also asking the ball to do some talking.
But he hasn't surely lived up to his credentials afresh this season. The Mumbai-born pacer is leaking runs for his team on regular intervals. He has not been effective in bowling those yorkers in the death frequently. His 10.14 economy per over justifies that. Though CSK is having a fruitful season once again in the IPL, Thakur is surely not one of the reasons for it.
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