5 players who have struggled after changing teams in the IPL

The Indian Premier League (IPL), for a handful number of players, might have been the platform that kickstarted their career. But on the other side of the coin, there are many who slowly started fading away after starting off impressively.Their IPL career started off on a high note but once the life of caravans got them, misfortune jumped in too. They started playing for different teams but their performances started growing antonymous to their previous ones.Here are five such players whose career saw a complete turnaround after getting swapped among teams:

#1 Ross Taylor (RCB)

One of the most destructive batsmen on his day, Ross Taylor has played for 3 different IPL teams so far - Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Pune Warriors India (PWI) and Delhi Daredevils (DD). But he was at his dominant best undoubtedly with RCB, scoring 517 runs from 22 matches at a strike rate exceeding 140.

Since then, he has been off the boil to say the least and was, unsurprisingly, not picked up by any franchise in this year's auctions.

After all, the former Kiwi captain’s average has not crossed 20 for the past three seasons, having scored just 319 runs in the last 21 games that he has played.

#2 Dinesh Karthik (MI)

While a lot of things are undergoing drastic changes in the IPL, Dinesh Karthik’s talent and the immense demand for his services has not changed over the years. RCB is the wicketkeeper-batsman's fourth franchise having previously played for Delhi Daredevils, Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians.

Karthik was bought by Mumbai in 2012 after having played for DD from 2008 to 2010 and then for Kings XI in 2011. He had an extremely successful stint for MI as he scored 748 runs from 36 matches and had an integral part to play in Mumbai's triumph in the 2013 season.

As a result, Karthik’s release by MI ahead of the 2014 player auctions came as a bolt from the blue and DD made use of the chance with a huge bid of Rs 12.5 crore. But, unfortunately, Karthik’s performance has deteriorated since then.

In 14 games for DD last season, he managed just 325 runs from 14 matches at an average of 23.21. Despite that, he was signed by RCB this season for Rs 10 crore. Once again, however, he has failed to step up to the plate, scoring his runs at a measly average of 15.5.

#3 Yusuf Pathan (RR)

There are thousands of people out there who are eager to see the fearless and destructive Yusuf Pathan return to his best. Considered among the hardest hitters of the cricket ball, Yusuf was extremely impressive for Rajasthan Royals in the first three seasons. How can one forget the 37-ball hundred he scored against Mumbai Indians in the 2010 edition?

In 2011, however, Yusuf made his way to KKR. Since then, while his record is still pretty good, he hasn't played the kind of match-winning innings that he did previously.

Skipper Gautam Gambhir has played Yusuf in most positions in the batting order, but the fact that he is yet to nail down one particular spot is a sign of his inconsistency.

#4 Pragyan Ojha (DC)

Pragyan Ojha, an orthodox left-arm spinner who consistently overcame the hurdles thrown by Twenty20 cricket, is now undergoing a tough phase in his career. Originally playing for the now defunct Deccan Chargers in the IPL, Ojha took 60 wickets from 54 matches at an outstanding average and economy rate of 22.13 and 7.13 respectively. His performance level was improving after every season and he was awarded the purple cap for most wickets in 2010.

After being signed by the Mumbai franchise in 2012, however, he has failed to have the same sort of impact. Perhaps, the fact that his action has been under scrutiny recently has also played a part in his travails, but it's palpable that he isn't the same bowler who was getting the better of batsmen with his flight and guile during his time with DC.

#5 RP Singh (DC)

It's baffling that RP Singh, India’s bowling hero of the victorious 2007 World T20 side, has not been a part of the past two seasons of the IPL. His story is more complex than that of Pragyan Ojha’s as the purple cap winner of 2009 is now missing from the league. During his stint with the Deccan Chargers from 2008 to 2010, he was extremely successful as he picked up 51 wickets from 42 games. He then moved to the Kochi franchise in 2011 before signing for Mumbai Indians in 2012.

His place in the team was very much uncertain while playing for both Kochi and Mumbai. Upon release, RCB decided to add him to their pace battery in 2013. He started off well, but things took a turn for the worse as the season went on. A controversial no ball off the last ball in a match against CSK added to his woes as he was released by RCB, too, after the 2013 season.