IPL 2020: Three players who flopped last season but might return with a bang

Form plays an important role in cricket. It is the same for some of the most well-established players as well as aspiring cricketers.

Many players are often sold for exorbitant amounts during the IPL auctions. They carry the hopes of the fans of the particular franchise they play for and are expected to justify the high price tag. However, sometimes, the cricketers are just not able to find top form and are unable to perform throughout the length of the IPL.

In this article, we will take a look at three players who were not at their best in IPL 2019 but can be expected to return to IPL 2020 with a bang. Due consideration has been given to the current form of the players to come up with these players. Without further ado, here they are:

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#3 Jaydev Unadkat

Jaydev Unadkat (Picture courtesy: iplt20.com/BCCI)

Rajasthan Royals have kept faith in Jaydev Unadkat for quite some time now. They paid a hefty amount of ₹8.4 crore for the left-arm speedster for IPL 2019. The Rajasthan-based franchise had also paid an exorbitant amount of ₹11.5 crore for Unadkat during the IPL 2018 auctions.

The Porbandar-born player has never been able to live up to the high expectations the Royals' management and fans have from him. Unadkat clinched an impressive 24 wickets in 12 matches during IPL 2017 while playing for the Rising Pune Super Giant. He finished as the runner-up in the Purple Cap race for that season. However, since then, his performance graph in the IPL has been downward.

He only picked up 11 wickets in 15 matches since then at a dismal average of 44.18 and a poor economy rate of 9.65.

Also see – IPL 2020 schedule

Even though the speedster took 10 scalps in 11 matches during IPL 2019, he had a poor economy rate of 10.66. Rajasthan released the nippy fast bowler ahead of IPL 2020 but bought him back for ₹3 crores.

Unadkat, who has the ability to swing the ball both ways, is currently in excellent form in first-class cricket. Captaining Saurashtra in the ongoing Ranji Trophy, the seasoned Jaydev has led from the front and been influential in helping his side reach the semifinals. Unadkat has clinched an unbelievable 55 wickets in just 8 matches at an economy rate of 2.80 and an average of 11.80.

While the level of players in the IPL is much higher, such exceptional performances in first-class cricket would most certainly help Unadkat get in the right frame of mind and have a good chance to return with a bang in IPL 2020.

#2 Prithvi Shaw

Prithvi Shaw with Ricky Ponting (Picture courtesy: iplt20.com/BCCI)

Delhi Capitals' star youngster Prithvi Shaw has been one of the most highly rated openers in the Indian circuit. He was roped in by the Delhi-based franchise in the IPL 2018 auction for ₹1.2 crore. He has been retained for the same amount ahead of IPL 2020.

Shaw had an impressive IPL debut as he scored 245 in 9 matches at an average of 27.22 and a strike rate of 153.12. While his performance was not terrible in IPL 2019, it was certainly below the high expectations the right-handed batsman has set for himself. Shaw scored 353 runs in 16 matches at a meager average of 22.06 and a strike rate of 133.71. Even though Shaw scored 99 off 55 balls against KKR and another fifty in the season, the rest of his performances were forgettable.

The 20-year-old has been in decent form for India A. He even smashed a scintillating 150 off 100 balls against New Zealand XI in January.

Shaw could not make the most of his opportunity in the first Test Match against New Zealand. He will look to make the most of his chance, in case he gets it for the second Test. The opener, who is yet to make a T20I debut, will also hope to take out his best in IPL 2020 in a bid to come in the eye of the selectors for the Twenty20 World Cup later this year.

#1 Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson (Picture courtesy: iplt20.com/BCCI)

Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Kane Williamson is known to be one of the coolest customers on the cricket pitch. He was retained by SRH for ₹3 crore ahead of IPL 2019 and has been retained for the same amount ahead of IPL 2020.

The classy batsman was one of the top performers of IPL 2018. Williamson won the Orange Cap as he scored an astounding 735 runs in 17 matches at an average of 52.50 and a strike rate of 142.44. He also scored eight fifties during the season and was pivotal in helping SRH reach the final.

However, the exceptionally talented batsman could not make a significant contribution in IPL 2019. He scored a dismal 156 runs in 9 matches at an average of 22.28 and a strike rate of 120.00. 70 of these runs came in a single innings against RCB and that too proved to be in a losing cause.

The Kiwi skipper is in good form currently. He scored 95 runs in 48 deliveries in the 3rd T20I against India in the recent series. The top-order batsman also hit a quickfire 51 off 26 deliveries in the first T20I of the series. While the strokemaker was ruled out of two of the three ODIs in the series against India, he made his mark in the first Test match by scoring 89 runs off 153 deliveries which New Zealand ended up winning the match comfortably.

With his gritty temperament and good current form, it is safe to say that Williamson will return to IPL 2020 with a bang. David Warner has been reinstated as SRH's captain ahead of IPL 2020 and that might allow Williamson to focus more on his batting.