IPL 2018: Top 5 flops from week 1

Conjectures, apprehensions and finally, the results now. It could be a bit too early to judge the players' form in this 2-month long carnival right now, but this is their foundation. They could completely change their fate in the coming games or continue the poor form and warm the benches in the further matches. Either way, this is their start for season 11.

While there have been the introductions of young spinning sensations like Mayank Markande and Mujeeb Rahman, the flops' list is filled with 3 international players who have a bulk of experience to fall back on.

So, here's looking at the 5 flops of IPL 2018 -

#1 Sarfaraz Khan

The decision to retain Sarfaraz Khan over other RCB players like Yuzvendra Chahal or KL Rahul is unfathomable. The youngster hasn't created any extraordinary record while playing for the franchise but he was expected to change that in this season. However, that hasn't been the case. And, it isn't surprising.

Although the youngster has 2 catches - those of KL Rahul and Mujeeb Rahman - to boast of from the last match, he scored a mere 6 runs in 10 balls in the first game and was sent back in the first ball in the next. Both the times, there was an opportunity to repay the faith the management had shown in him.

If he is replaced with Manan Vohra or Parthiv Patel or even the all-rounder, Pawan Negi, it would be a better bet for the Bangalore team in pressure situations.

#2 D'Arcy Short

Carrying impressive records from the Big Bash League, the Aussie looked like the one to watch out for in this edition of the IPL. His value went from a base price of 20 lakhs to 4 crores, 20 times his original price! After clearing his passport issues, the RR management were definitely expecting fireworks from him right from the start of the league.

Kane Williamson brilliantly ran him out in the first match when he was on 4. The same fate followed him the next match as he was run out by Vijay Shankar. The latter emphasised the poor communication between the openers, Rahane and him. A mess up in running and an alert Vijay Shankar meant Short was sent back while he was on 6.

It goes without saying that the opening duo ought to work on their communication if they want to squeeze the best out of the southpaw.

#3 Colin Munro

Known to be a quick scorer, Colin Munro was definitely picked to form a destructive pair with Gautam Gambhir in the Delhi Daredevils squad. His record - 200 runs in 3 T20Is against the West Indies - were what the management looked at when he was signed for 1.90 crores.

Munro fell early to the Afghan spinner, Mujeeb Rahman, in his first match, after he had bowled just three balls in the IPL. Yes, the Kiwi batsman was the first IPL scalp of the young spinner who now has Virat Kohli on his list too. After scoring 4 runs in that match, a worse fate awaited him in the next game. While Munro attempted to steal a second run, Maxwell sent him back resulting in Buttler and Gowtham running him out in the very first ball of the Delhi run-chase.

In the next match against the Mumbai Indians, Munro was dropped and replaced by England batsman, Jason Roy.

#4 Rohit Sharma

The captain of the defending champions has made it to this list due to his inconsistency. Undoubtedly one of the best short-format players, his double hundreds and humongous sixes speak volumes of his talent.

Rohit's averaging 22.43 in the last 18 innings he has played and has failed to cross 30 in the last 7 matches.

In the first two matches of this season, he has amassed just 26 runs at a strike rate of 92.85. Having failed up top this season, he walked out at 4 today but added just 18 runs to the total and got out off Boult's bowling.

#5 Vinay Kumar

After a string of failed batsmen, here's a bowler to end the list. Vinay Kumar's poor form was the talk of the town after the game against CSK.

In the match against RCB, Kumar gave away 30 runs in 2 overs. Riding on Narine's extraordinary innings, though, KKR sealed the game that day. However, it wasn't the same case in the next match against CSK. After scoring 202 batting first, KKR would've liked to believe that they had put a defendable total. However the horrific last over by Kumar, including a wide, gave away 18 runs.

His captain, Dinesh Karthik, came out in support of him and said, "I know he will be the first one to put his hand up and say he could have bowled a lot better. But having said that, I know he is a strong character and he will come back strong."

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