IPL 2018: Disappointing XI of the season

Bowlers

Mitchell Johnson (Kolkata Knight Riders)

A shadow of the player he was at his peak

Even after Mitchell Starc withdrew from IPL 2018 due to injury, Kolkata Knight Riders were satisfied with their bowling attack, since they had the other Mitchell to lead their bowling lineup.

Although he retired from international cricket three years ago, Johnson is still a big name in the T20 leagues all over the world. The same, however, cannot be said about IPL anymore, as Johnson endured one of his worst IPL seasons, in 2018.

Johnson has only been part of the playing XI in only 6 matches in this season. With only 2 wickets to his name in those 6 matches, the Australian has the highest average and strike rate, 108 and 63, among all the bowlers in IPL.

After a series of dismal performances, he was dropped from the playing XI in favour of Tom Curran, and won't be making a return to the playing XI in the playoffs

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Jaydev Undakat (Rajasthan Royals)

Struggling to find his rhythm.

This is what a high auction price and even more hype do to a cricketer's performance. Jaydev Unadkat was the MVP of Rising Pune Supergiants' bowling line up in the 2017 season, having taken 24 wickets in 12 matches, and played a big role in taking RPS to the final of that season. Fast forward just 12 months, and he is actually the only weak link in the bowling line-up for the Rajasthan Royals.

It is astonishing that, while Unadkat managed to take 24 wickets in 12 matches in the last season, he only managed to take 12 wickets in 14 matches of this season.

Not only that, his skyrocketing economy rate, which is just shy of 10 runs an over, is the biggest concern for RR. Just like fellow RR teammate D'Arcy Short, Unadkat has been nothing but a big and expensive disappointment in this season.

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Mohit Sharma (Kings XI Punjab)

A liability than an asset

Indian fast bowlers have really done a good job in this season of IPL. While experienced campaigners like Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah continued to rattle the batsmen with their quickies, others like Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Siddarth Kaul and Sandeep Sharma have managed to leave a mark as well.

However, the same cannot be said about KXIP fast bowlers, who have struggled big time in this season.

While Barinder Sran has not done anything productive for the team, the biggest disappointment has been the dismal performance of Mohit Sharma. Sharma played 9 matches for the Mohali-based franchise and took only 7 wickets in those fixtures.

However, it is his pathetic economy rate of over 11 that earned him a place in this playing XI.