IPL 2018: 4 players who are being badly missed by their teams

As IPL 2018 enters into its business end, all the teams- some in attempt to make it to the playoffs, while others to end their campaigns on a high- gear up for the final push. And as days go by, each of them is trying hard to address the part of their side that makes them vulnerable to the opposition. Almost all the teams, except SRH perhaps, seem to lag behind in one department or the other. While a couple of teams (Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals) suffer because of poor team combinations they acquired at the auction, others have been unlucky to see their key players miss the action due to ill-timed injuries.

Had these injuries not happened to these players the story of IPL 2018 would perhaps have unfolded in altogether a different way. Here’s a look at five such players who were kept out of the action by an injury, and are now being badly missed by their franchises.

Pat Cummins

Pat Cummins was the buy of the season for Mumbai Indians. Tall and strong, the talented Australian pacer can swing the ball both ways at speeds upwards of 140 kmph. He was acquired by MI think-tank at a whopping Rs 5.40 crore. But, even before MI played its first match he had to drop out of the league due to a back injury- something that has been his Achilles' heel in the past.

MI did rope in Adam Milne as a replacement for Cummins only to have him featured in none of their playing XI. Instead, they now have Mitchell McClenaghan doing what Cummins was supposed to do for MI- picking wickets early on. But what MI lacks is an outright fast bowler who can give company to Bumrah in containing the batters at the end. Inability to contain runs at both ends has already cost them close games against CSK and DD. It seems only Cummins could have fitted in the demands of a team whose playoff chances now are hung in jeopardy.

Kagiso Rabada

Rabada's injury proved to be a massive blow to DD's campaign.

Being their best bet for a front-line bowler, the last thing that the Delhi Daredevils wanted was an injury to Rabada. Fast and fiery, Rabada, in any team, is the perfect choice for a strike bowler. But, sadly for DD, he was rendered unavailable for the whole of the IPL season by a lower-back stress.

Delhi do have Boult as a strike-bowler but, he has been expensive (economy of 9.17) and far from incisive in his spells, and has thus not been able to fill the void created by Rabada's absence. DD would have gained tremendously from Rabada's searing pace, both at the death and in the powerplay. DD has often been found wanting while defending a score. Currently, DD lacks any go-to bowler. Rabada could have been the go-to bowler DD are looking for.

In absence of a bowler who can hold their bowling together the team has really suffered. In what can be termed as an insipid campaign, DD’s fortunes may have been different had Kagiso Rabada, with his pace and bounce, been at their service.

Kedar Jadhav

Kedar Jadhav suffered a hamstring injury while batting against Mumbai Indians.

With Kedar Jadhav in the middle order, CSK’s batting lineup looked complete, and unstoppable to say the least. That became obvious in the very first match of the league where despite suffering a batting collapse, CSK pulled off a victory, thanks to Bravo’s innings. But, had it not been for Jadhav, who, despite sustaining a mid-match hamstring injury that made him retire to the dressing room, came out at the fag end of CSK’s innings, and gave the finishing touch. Every CSK fan would have hoped then that his injury would be a minor one. Their hopes were shattered the very next day when it was announced that he was out of the IPL.

CSK tried Sam Billings in the middle order as a replacement for Jadhav. But, he hasn’t been consistent apart from the match against KKR in which CSK chased 203. They then looked up to an uncapped talent Dhruv Shorey to give impetus to their middle-order. That too resulted in a failure. In the single match, he was given an opportunity, he disappointed big time. CSK has so far been able to cover up, thanks to Dhoni's form and top-order's consistency. But, in a scenario where the top-order fails, CSK will find themselves in deep water. Such a case presented itself in their first match against MI. They had Jadhav then who held the fort with the bat. But, he is no more with them. With the bench strength failing miserably in providing Jadhav’s replacement, it is quite clear that he is being badly missed by CSK, more so as the tournament enters its business end.

Mitchell Starc

A leg injury has kept Starc out of the IPL action.

Bought at jaw-dropping INR 9.4 crores, Starc was slated to be KKR’s lead bowler before an injury in the right leg ruled him out of IPL 2018. Given his pace, and ability to swing the ball, Starc would have come handy in the powerplay. Moreover, his swinging, toe-crushing yorkers would have added loads of value to KKR’s death bowling.

At the moment, KKR poses no serious threat to oppositions when it comes to pace. All of their top bowling performances have come from their spinners- Narine, Chawla, and Kuldeep. Among the pair of foreign players (Johnson and Curran) they have sought as a replacement for Starc in their playing XI, none has been up to the mark. Curran and Johnson have been too expensive. KKR lacks a pacer who can be their go-to bowler at the death. They have been able to make up for Starc's absence in the powerplay but, at the death they have missed him for sure. As KKR take the field next time, knowing that they can’t afford to lose, Starc’s absence will hit them even harder.