IPL 2018: 3 players who are likely to be dropped by their franchises next year

This year's Indian Premier League has been filled with all sorts of excitement both on and off the field. One of the key characteristics of this year's tournament has to be the number of changes seen. From new team captains to the introduction of DRS for the first time, this season has reminded us all that change is the only constant.

This year's franchises have also changed their squads quite significantly when compared to previous years. Royal Challengers Bangalore are a typical example of a franchise which has made sweeping changes to its previous squad in an attempt to finally win the coveted title at the end of the season.

Another key feature of this season's IPL has been the poor performances of several players who were expected to be kingpins for their franchises. Names such as Ishan Kishan and Rashid Khan come to mind when you think of players who are making a name for themselves at this year's tournament.

There are then other players who seem to have lost the energy and spark which saw them being selected by their franchises and who have sadly not delivered as expected. This article will look at three such players and why it is unlikely that these players will be selected for their franchises for next year's IPL.

#1 David Miller

David Miller has been a regular part of the Kings XI Punjab over the past few seasons. This has been the only franchise which he has played for in the IPL since he made his debut at the tournament, but it seems as though the Kings XI Punjab are falling out of love with the big-hitting batsman.

He has only played in two matches thus far in this year's tournament and it seems that the Kings XI Punjab are happy with their current squad - one which he doesn't seem to fit into. He hasn't made any significant contributions and it looks likely that this season will be his final one.

Of course, things might change as we approach the business end of the tournament. Miller is an immense talent and a few big innings could be just what he needs to fall back in favor with his franchise.

For the moment though, it looks unlikely that Miller can expect the Kings XI Punjab to recruit him next year.

#2 Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell has made a name for himself as a big-hitting batsman who has the ability to score off just about any delivery bowled to him. This was proven at the IPL auction where interest in the big-hitting Aussie was high.

Maxwell was eventually picked up by the Delhi Daredevils for a whopping Rs 9 crore, making him one of their most expensive buys. The franchise clearly saw a lot of value in having Maxwell as a part of their squad and were hoping that this investment would see them go all the way during this year's tournament.

The franchise have instead been rooted to the bottom of the IPL points table and have been struggling to win. Maxwell hasn't done much to justify his hefty price tag either. His first seven games saw him register scores of 17, 13, 47, 4, 12, 27 and 6 with the bat - which is far from what his franchise would have been expecting from him.

As is the case with David Miller, Maxwell could easily prove his worth during the next few games. However, with Delhi's chances of qualifying for the playoffs up in smoke, it is likely that the franchise would not be recruiting the Aussie next year.

#3 Kieron Pollard

It is almost unthinkable to some cricketing fans that the Mumbai Indians would ever let Kieron Pollard go. The big-hitting batsman has been a regular part of the Mumbai Indians team for years now and it would be hard to picture their squad without him.

The same thing could have been said about Chris Gayle if one were to suggest that the Royal Challengers Bangalore would not retain him. However, the unthinkable did happen, and Gayle now finds himself playing for a new franchise.

Kieron Pollard should not feel secure about his place in the team. He has had a run of poor scores and has not done much to justify his inclusion in the Mumbai Indians squad. Despite being an all-rounder, he has been used only as a batsman and has not put in the scores needed to get his team across the line.