IPL 2018: Worst players from each team

As expected, the IPL yet again grew in stature and reputation to establish itself as the world's most competitive T20 cricketing league. CSK snatched all the headlines, clinching their third IPL title after a seven-year drought. On the other hand, RCB, KXIP and the Daredevils occupied the basement spots and will have to wait for another season to try and win this distinguished trophy.

There are a few indispensable factors that moulds a title-winning IPL side. Some of them include the maintenance of a core team, a leader, the right team balance and a touch of the winning momentum. Some sides found the right formula to success. However, the others were left experimenting with their batting orders, death bowling woes and playing XI.

Every outfit in the tournament possessed weak links and liabilities in their ranks till the very last stages. Seven weeks of able guidance, repeated training sessions and matches didn't seem to be enough for all teams to find their right combinations. Some big names failed to live up to their expectations and heavy price tags. If analyzed properly, we can know how shambolic they have been for their respective teams this season.

Note: Players that have only featured in a minimum of 6 matches are on this list.

Here are the worst players from each team:

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#1 Ravindra Jadeja (Chennai Super Kings)

Jadeja has not fulfilled the finisher's role

When compared to his teammates, Jadeja misfired to a notable extent. His immaculate all-round abilities allowed MS Dhoni to play an extra batsman in the lineup.

In CSK's first game (against MI), he only managed 12 off 13 balls. Whilst chasing a mammoth total of 206 against the Royal Challengers, he recorded three runs off five balls. Against KKR, CSK posted a total of 177, where Jadeja struck a run-a-ball 12 runs and left it on Dhoni to finish the innings on a high.

He had an average of just 17 with the bat and an economy rate of over 8 RPO for the majority of the tournament. Hence, he didn't seem to have impressed for CSK this season. Apart from a match-winning 3/18 against RCB, he only agglomerated four wickets in his first 11 matches.

Although the southpaw ended the season on a high, pulling his economy to less than eight and closing the season with 11 wickets, he will remain as their worst player this season.

#2 Glenn Maxwell (Delhi Daredevils)

Not all to smile about for Maxwell on the field

In the process of a squad overhaul, Delhi Daredevils showed their faith in the Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell. They purchased him for a whopping price of ₹9 crores. Much to his and Delhi's despair, his performances were abysmal.

It almost seemed that the cricket pitch turned into a bowler's paradise whenever Maxwell walked in to bat. Despite the repeated trust showed by the management, Maxwell scored just 169 runs in 12 matches, with an excruciating average of 14.08. With the ball, he claimed 5 scalps at a costly economy rate of 8.25 RPO.

Also to add, the Victorian all-rounder dropped a couple of catches too, something that is totally unexpected from a fielder of his grade. He was one of the main reasons for another forgettable season recorded by the franchise.

#3 Mohit Sharma (Kings XI Punjab)

Mohit Sharma endured a dismal IPL 2018

If Kings XI Punjab's horrendous form in the second half of the term is taken into account, a lot of their players can make it to this list - Karun Nair, Mayank Agarwal, Aaron Finch and Yuvraj Singh.

However, let us analyze Mohit Sharma’s role in this team. The think tank of KXIP stapled the RTM card on him over Sandeep Sharma, who was a possible candidate for the same. With the responsibility of shepherding the bowling attack, he was expected to pick up key wickets at the death and control the flow of runs. Instead, Mohit made a mess out of this situation.

His bowling lacked consistency. In 9 matches, he only had 7 wickets to his name at an unpardonable average of 46 and a substandard economy of just under 11. In the power play, his bowling was often wayward.

At the death, his off-cutters and the ones that come out of the back of the hand became foreseeable, owing to his horrible economy of over 11.2 in overs 16-20.

#4 Mitchell Johnson (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Mitchell Johnson had turned up the heat for Scorchers

When Mitchell Johnson dismantled the defence of many in the Big Bash, it looked like he still had it in him. The fearsome pacer was rather tamed by the batsman this time around. After the withdrawal of Mitchell Starc this season, Johnson automatically became KKR's first choice fast bowler.

Due to inconsistent displays with the new ball, his performances were lackluster for a player of his caliber. His numbers serve this cause too. In 6 outings he picked up only two wickets, and the economy was unviable too.

Neither does the extra bounce persist in his armory anymore, nor does his burgeoning knack of picking up wickets at regular intervals. No wonder the Knight Riders never found a reliable foreign fast bowler in IPL 2018.

#5 Rohit Sharma (Mumbai Indians)

The hitman had to work hard for his runs

Mumbai Indians were carried by the young shoulders of Ishan Kishan, Mayank Markhande, Suryakumar Yadav and the Pandya brothers. The senior boys didn't rise to the occasion for the most part, and Rohit Sharma is one of them undoubtedly.

The elegant batsman registered just a couple of half-centuries this term, his highest score being 94. If those two innings are discounted, then he plotted poor scores of 15, 11, 18, 2, 24, 11, 36, 6, along with a couple of first-ball dismissals.

Every time he went out to the middle in search of a long innings, a loose shot proved to be his nemesis. Considering the standards he sets every season, it is safe to say that the captain did not lead by example.

#6 D'Arcy Short (Rajasthan Royals)

Short was one of the worst players in this year's IPL

In simple words, D'Arcy Short failed to replicate the form he illustrated in the Big Bash. He raised the bar, set the tone and bagged himself a place in the national side. However, nothing of that attitude or quality was displayed to the Indian fans.

Brought into the side as a top-order batsman, the southpaw wasted way too many chances given to him by Shane Warne. In 7 matches, he scored a mere 115 runs at a horrendous average of 16.42. Compared to his daunting strike rate of 151 at the BBL, he struck only 116 runs per 100 deliveries in this IPL.

His struggles against spin were clearly scanned by other teams, who started off with a spinner as soon as he arrived to the crease. Out of the 7 times he was dismissed this season, spinners removed him four times. The lad showed poor adaptation and lack of quick decision-making ability to endure a poor outing this Indian summer.

#7 Sarfaraz Khan (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

A little too cheeky at times

Sarfaraz Khan was retained by RCB ahead of KL Rahul, who was arguably the best willow-wielder this season. They picked him despite his absence in the previous edition of the IPL. They relied on the promise he brought with his fearless finishing touch a couple of seasons ago.

Unfortunately, the youngster's technique turned out to be too bad, as the RCB management dropped him more often than not. In the 6 matches that he featured in, Sarfaraz scored only 51 runs.

In fact, his scoop over fine leg got so predictable that Shreyas Iyer placed Prithvi Shaw almost right behind the keeper when they took on Delhi Daredevils. Unfortunately, the 20-year-old fell for the trap.

#8 Manish Pandey (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Manish Pandey

Even a team with SRH's perfection, class and flamboyance had their weaknesses. They lost just five games in the league stage - and there was something in common with those defeats - a top order failure.

Apart from their impeccable bowling line up, the onus was always on Kane Williamson and Shikhar Dhawan to keep the scoreboard ticking. Their senior most middle-order batsman Manish Pandey was simply disappointing throughout the course of the season. Prior to the innings of 62* against RCB, he had scored just 189 runs in 12 innings, striking them at 111 with an awful average of 21.

If the top order failed, Manish Pandey usually bit the dust along with them too. With his level of experience, it was extremely amateurish from him to be dismissed numerously due to poor shot-selection as such. As a result, he was dropped for the Playoff matches.