5 Capped players who may not play a single game in IPL 2020

The 13th edition of the IPL is just a month away and all the teams are geared up for the competition with their squads all lined up in place. The auction for this season was conducted on 19th December 2019 where teams strengthened their squads and filled the gaps in their playing XI. Around 332 players were a part of this auction out of which 60 players were sold to different franchises. In order to buy these players a whopping 106.8 crore rupees were spent.

IPL is a platform for many young players to make their case for being considered for selection at the highest level. It also acts as a medium through which many players make their comeback into the national team. Every team is this cash-rich league has a squad strength of about 20-25 players. In such cases it becomes difficult for everyone in the squad to get a chance to be picked in the playing XI. Many times, a player has to go back home without getting a chance to play even a single game in the entire season.

The presence of big names in the squad often keeps the door closed for the entry of other players in the starting XI. In many cases, players who have represented their country at the highest level also fall out of favour and struggle to get even a single chance to play.

Here we will discuss 5 capped players who may not play even a single game in IPL 2020

1. Murali Vijay

The batsman from Chennai had one of the most interesting turnarounds in his career when he became a regular opener for India in Test Cricket. He was initially drafted into the Indian team because of his ability to take on the opposition and play aggressively. However, as he made his meteoric rise in the international arena, his fortunes in IPL started dwindling. He never remained the batsman he originally was as his strike rate dropped significantly.

His batting average decreased from 35.23 in 2010 to 18.81 in 2014. During the same period, his strike rate also decreased from 156.84 to 107.81. Even a change in his franchise or an added charge of captaincy couldn’t improve his performance.

He played a total of 3 matches combined in the 2018 and 2019 season. As of now, he has fallen completely out of favour to open the innings. Also, the presence of Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis in the squad may keep him away from the playing XI. Thus, he may not get a chance to play even a single game this season.

2. Karun Nair

The right-handed batsman from Karnataka made headlines when he became the second Indian batsman to score a triple hundred after Virender Sehwag. He made his IPL debut for Royal Challengers Bangalore but drew attention towards himself by his impressive strokeplay during his stint with Rajasthan Royals. He got a lot of success in his initial years in the IPL.

Till date, he has played for 4 franchises including Delhi Daredevils (Now Delhi Capitals) and his present team Kings XI Punjab. However, he has failed to replicate the success he achieved in the initial years of his career. In 63 innings he has played in the IPL, he has managed to score 1464 runs with a mediocre average of 24.81 at a strike rate of just above 128.

Kings XI Punjab already have a packed top order with Chris Gayle, KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal. Even their middle order has big names like Glenn Maxwell, Nicholas Pooran, James Neesham and Sarfaraz Khan. In such a situation, it is highly improbable that he would get a chance to feature in the playing team.

3. Saurabh Tiwary

The left-handed attacking batsman from Jharkhand created quite a stir when he made his arrival in professional cricket. Belonging from the same state as the then Indian captain MS Dhoni, people started drawing parallels between them because of their similar hairstyle. However, unlike his model, his IPL journey has been a roller coaster ride.

He was snapped up by Mumbai Indians in the inaugural season of the League. However, he had to wait for two years before he could make a significant mark in the tournament. That moment came in 2010 when he played an instrumental role in taking his team to the finals of that edition. He scored 419 runs in 16 games at an average of more than 29.

Since then, his returns in the tournament have been pretty ordinary. He failed to make a mark for Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Daredevils (Now Delhi Capitals) or even Rising Pune Supergiants. In 81 matches, he has scored only 1276 runs at an average of 28.36 and a strike rate of 119.59. Ahead of this edition of IPL, he was bought by his former franchise Mumbai Indians. However, their power-packed line-up could keep the doors of entry into the playing XI closed for him.

4. David Miller

The South-African batsman, nicknamed ‘Killer-Miller’ by his fans was one of the mainstays of Kings XI Punjab’s batting line-up. His ability to hit the shots ‘in the V’ garnered a lot of attention. He had an envious batting record in IPL during his initial years. His phrase “If it’s in the V, it’s in the tree; If it’s in the arc, it’s out of the park” became the talk of the town.

He became a household name after his exploits in IPL 2013 in which he was the highest run-getter for KXIP scoring 418 runs at an average of 59.71. However, since then his form has taken a big hit. His average hit rock bottom during the 2016 season where he managed to score merely 161 runs in 14 matches.

Kings XI Punjab released him after the 2019 season and he was bought by Rajasthan Royals during the auction. However, given his poor form and conversion rate in International cricket presently, he may not get chances to play. Also, the presence of players like Steve Smith, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes may keep him out of contention as well.

5. Fabian Allen

The left-arm spinning all-rounder from Jamaica is yet to make his IPL debut. He was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for this season in order to replace Shakib Al Hasan as a like-for-like replacement. He first made headlines in 2017 in the Caribbean Premier League in which he took a stunning catch.

Allen is one of the few spin-bowling all-rounders from the Caribbean and just like his team-mates, he possesses great run-scoring abilities. However, his chances to feature for the Hyderabad based franchise seem bleak this season. He takes up a foreign spot and including him in the line-up would mean the team would have to compromise the inclusion of anyone from David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Kane Williamson or Rashid Khan.

Apart from the given fact, Sunrisers also have much more experienced and accomplished all-rounders in their squad like Mitchell Marsh and Mohammad Nabi. Also, the presence of the prodigious Abhishek Sharma in the squad, who is also a left-arm spin bowling all-rounder could mean that Allen may not feature in even a single game this season.