IPL 2018: 4 benched players who can change their teams' fortunes

After the completion of the IPL XI auctions, which took place earlier this year, every team looked formidable on paper. But cricket is played on a pitch and hence some teams that looked intimidating on paper have gone meek and the owners are receiving loads of questions.

Mumbai Indians, with all the big names like Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard and the Pandya brothers, have won just one game in six matches and are currently sitting below seven teams in the points table. After a decade of humiliation and severe trolling, Royal Challengers Bangalore's team finally looked good on paper. Kolkata Knight Riders spent every single penny that they had to get big names on their team.

But these aforementioned teams have not yet found their footing this season whereas teams like Sunrisers Hyderabad, who lack star-power, and Chennai Super Kings, filled with aged cricketers, are ruling the pack. But the teams currently having a dress circle seat in a pit full of ignominy can turn things around if they give a chance to these benched cricketers.

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#4 Ben Cutting (Mumbai Indians)

Ben Cutting has played one game in MI colours

The points table clearly states that Mumbai Indians have won just one out of their six matches, but what it does not is the fact that they need to win at least seven out of their remaining eight games to make it to the playoffs. They are very much in a make or break situation and if this is not the right time to bench Kieron Pollard then there is not any.

The giant from Trinidad has scored just 63 runs in 6 games at an average of around 15 and is yet to bowl. Mumbai are in dire need of an all-rounder and they have one in Australian Ben Cutting. 'Cuttsy', as he is called by his teammates, has played just one game and did not make much of a contribution. But his IPL career average is over 22 and strike rate is over 175. Moreover, with an economy rate of under 9 runs per over and 7 wickets to his name, he can be an efficacious bowler.

#3 Javon Searles (Kolkata Knight Riders)

KKR are facing troubles with their pace attack and Javon Searles can be the solution

If there is one area Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Dinesh Karthik would like to attend to at this very moment, it will be his team's bowling. More specifically, his team's pace bowling. While he has got three quality spinners and he can count on at least one to have a good day at the office, his pacers are down and out after receiving blows day in day out.

Youngster Shivam Mavi is not yet ready to make the ball do the talking and both overseas seamers Mitchell Johnson and Tom Curran have failed to impress. While the former's economy rate is well over 9, the latter has conceded runs at an economy rate of around 12 runs per over. Hence, KKR have got all but one option left and that is the Caribbean pacer Javon Searles. While Searles is not as experienced as Johnson or as exciting as Curran, but with the duo failing miserably it is the time to turn to the West Indian, and have a rendezvous with risk. Searles has got an economy rate of 8 runs per over in his T20 career and can offer a few wild swings when asked to.

#2 JP Duminy (Mumbai Indians)

The vastly experienced South African has played 77 IPL matches

Mumbai Indians' batting order falling apart like nine pins after a solid start is not a rare sight anymore. With their line-up lacking a sheet anchor, they can turn to the Protean JP Duminy. In his career of 77 matches, he has scored 7 runs less than 2000 at an average that misses the 40-mark by a hair's width.

Mumbai have opted to invest faith in Evin Lewis this season. Though the junior version of Chris Gayle has not failed, his average of 24.50 might not be enough to justify his place in the team. Even if MI want to play Lewis, they can opt for only one overseas bowler but accommodating Duminy in their team is now nothing short of a must.

#1 Tim Southee (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

It is high time RCB's skipper Kohli (left) starts including Southee (right) in his plans

As reputed journalist Tim Wigmore said after Royal Challengers Bangalore failed to defend 205 runs against Chennai Super Kings, if you have $12 million to build a team, you should not end with Corey Anderson as your death bowler. While giving Anderson the ball in the last over might be a blunder, what is more than a botch is the selection of Corey Anderson ahead of Tim Southee.

Over the past decade, RCB have had some of the finest batters to have ever graced the game in their team but that is all that they had. Their lacklustre bowling lineup ensured equivalence by not defending any total, no matter how big it is. The problem is adamant and so is RCB's strategy of going batting-heavy. But an 8-pack person with rickety legs will collapse and so did RCB's team. Anderson's economy rate is over 13 runs per over and hence it is the time to give his countryman Tim Southee a shot. Southee has an IPL career economy rate of just over 8 runs per over and has 22 wickets to his name.