IPL 2021: Five Australian players who flopped in the first half of the tournament

Over the years, quite a few Australian cricketers have left their mark on the IPL and recorded their names in the history books in the process. The Orange Cap in the first two seasons was won by a couple of Australian players, Shaun Marsh and Matthew Hayden.

David Warner has been the highest run-scorer in past tournaments, winning the Orange Cap thrice (the most by any player), while Andrew Tye earned the Purple Cap as recently as 2018.

One way or the other, Australian cricketers have always managed to make a name for themselves at the grandest T20 festival of them all.

However, in recent times, Australia's mighty cricketing stars have failed to impress in the tournament. On that note, we take a look at five Australian cricketers who have failed to impress in this year's tournament so far.

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#1 Riley Meredith

The fiery Australian pacer made his debut for the national side against New Zealand in Wellington earlier this year. On the back of a few successful BBL campaigns where he cumulatively bagged 43 wickets in 34 matches, Punjab Kings shelled out 8 crore for his services.

However, things haven't gone according to plan for either party. Meredith failed to impress for his IPL franchise. In the 5 matches he played in the first leg of the tournament, Meredith only bagged 4 wickets at an average of 42.25 and an economy of 9.94.

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#2 Dan Christian

The veteran Australian cricketer has been one of the best T20 players around the globe. Having plied his trade in various franchise leagues around the world, Dan Christian remains one of the most destructive T20 batsmen even at 38.

When Royal Challengers Bangalore decided to field Christian in their squad, they hoped the veteran could chip in with a few wickets and come good as a finisher at the death. However, it's not worked out for them so far.

In the three matches played this season, Christian has only scored three runs and has not accounted for any wickets either. He was in and out of the team as a result and he will be hoping for a better outing in the UAE leg.

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#3 Moises Henriques

Moises Henriques in action during the first-leg of the IPL 2021.

Punjab Kings and questionable signings form a recurring IPL theme. PBKS dropped another shocker at this year's auction by spending 4.2 cror on Australian all-rounder Moises Henriques.

While the Portugal-born all-rounder did play an impactful role in SRH's title-winning campaign in 2016, he has had little to write home about since then.

In the three matches he played in the first leg of the tournament, Henriques scored just 16 runs. His ability to bowl was scarcely used as well, bowling just five overs in the tournament. Henriques may have been regarded as an impact T20 player in the past but it's evident that his best days are behind him.

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#4 Marcus Stoinis

No look shots are always a treat for DC fans 💙Can't wait for the Incredible Stoin to be back in the DC camp 🔥#YehHaiNayiDilli #IPL2021 #DCAllAccess @OctaFX @MStoinis pic.twitter.com/042FgugbCe

— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) September 2, 2021

Marcus Stoinis had a terrific IPL last season, amassing 352 runs and scalping 13 wickets during Delhi Capitals’ run to the final in the IPL 2020. Following that successful campaign, he was retained by the Delhi Capitals but has failed to replicate that form in the first leg of this year's tournament.

In the eight matches this term, Stoinis only managed to score 71 runs with a highest score of 27*. The all-rounder's move to the middle-order has certainly hampered his productivity with the bat.

Meanwhile, he's not fared much better with the ball either. In the 10 overs he bowled in the tournament, Stoinis has given away 109 runs and only managed to get two wickets.

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#5 Jhye Richardson (Second most expensive Australian player in the IPL)

Another Australian pacer on the list is 24-year old Jhye Richardson, who was hugely impressive in last year's BBL edition. At the auction before this year's IPL, PBKS spent a whooping 14 crore to acquire his services, making him the fourth most expensive player sold in the 2021 IPL auction.

However, the lanky Australian pacer wasn't able to translate his form into something tangible in the first leg of this year's edition. In the three matches he played, Richardson managed to scalp only three wickets with an average of 39 and an economy rate of 10.63.

Punjab Kings have recently acquired the services of another Australian pacer, Nathan Ellis, who recently made his mark on the world stage with a hat-trick against Bangladesh. Considering he's still pretty young and just getting his career underway, PBKS should probably use his services ahead of Richardson.