IPL 2021: 3 Indian bowlers who damaged their T20 World Cup hopes

The 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) wasn't kind to bowlers in general. The four venues at which the tournament took place before it was curtailed - Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Delhi - served up batting-friendly wickets often, with the bowlers left to scavenge for a hint of swing in the powerplay or a touch of turn in the middle overs.

A number of high-profile names disappointed in IPL 2021. Kagiso Rabada was a shadow of the bowler who raked in the wickets en route to the Purple Cap last year, while Jasprit Bumrah found it tough to provide breakthroughs even though he was economical.

A few regular members of the Indian T20I team disappointed as well. Here are 3 Indian bowlers who damaged their T20 World Cup hopes with their performances in IPL 2021.

Honorable Mentions: Mohammed Shami

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#3 Navdeep Saini - 0 wickets in IPL 2021

Australia v India - ODI Game 1

Navdeep Saini's stock as an international bowler has fallen over the last few months, with the team management reluctant to field him in all three formats even though he's been a regular part of the squad.

Saini's IPL 2021 campaign was expected to be one that thrusts him back into contention for a spot in the Indian playing XI, but it unfortunately had the opposite effect. In the 7 games the Royal Challengers Bangalore played, only one had the pacer's name on the teamsheet. And his only contribution was two overs that were taken for 27 runs.

With a number of other pacers - both young and experienced - vying for a place in India's squad for the T20 World Cup, Saini may be cast aside.

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#2 Yuzvendra Chahal - 4 wickets in IPL 2021

Australia v India - ODI Game 1

Saini played only one game for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, but the franchise's all-time highest wicket-taker featured in all seven. Unfortunately for the leg-spinner, he too had an unfortunate campaign, with only 4 wickets at an economy rate of 8.26.

Concerningly for Chahal, he failed to produce wickets even on a Chennai wicket that frequently provided him with significant assistance. Captain Virat Kohli's most potent middle-overs weapon was blunted by some clever strokeplay from opposition batters, and Chahal couldn't resort to deceptive variations often enough to escape punishment.

India have a number of finger-spinners with a case to be included in the playing XI for the T20 World Cup, with young leggie Rahul Chahar impressing in the IPL as well. Chahal's hopes to feature in the premier international T20 tournament have taken a hit.

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#1 Bhuvneshwar Kumar - 3 wickets in IPL 2021

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar came into IPL 2021 in sizzling form. He had taken a heap of wickets in the preceding white-ball leg against England, both with the new ball and at the death.

But in IPL 2021, just like his team Sunrisers Hyderabad, Bhuvneshwar's fortunes nosedived. In 5 matches, he scalped only 3 wickets at an economy rate of 9.1. And midway through the first half of the league stage, he suffered a thigh strain that kept him out of a couple of games.

Bhuvneshwar is still among the front-runners to seal a spot in India's squad for the T20 World Cup, but his poor showings in IPL 2021 did him no favors. There is no dearth of competition in the pace department, and his recurrent injuries aren't working towards convincing anyone he should be a staple of the T20I side.

It remains to be seen if Bhuvneshwar can recover his lost form and fitness, and make a mark at the T20 World Cup.