5 players who failed in PSL 2018 but did well in IPL 2018

The 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League came to a fitting end with the most consistent side of the season, the Chennai Super Kings, lifting the trophy. Now that the tournament is done and dusted, it is a good time to reflect back at how the things fared up in the 2018 edition of the popular T20 league. The IPL is often revered as the most popular T20 competition in the world.

With all due respect to all other T20 leagues, the players too, have often admitted that the IPL is the top most competition. On most occasions, there have been comparisons between the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and the IPL. Well, both tournaments are good and competitive in their own might.

It might not be very correct to judge the two competitions too soon. However, one can certainly pick the players’ performance as the parameters of judgment. For now, here we pick five players who proved to be match winners in the IPL 2018, but had a relatively quiet season in the PSL 2018.

Here are the 5 Players who failed in PSL 2018 but did well in IPL 2018:

1. Alex Hales – England

English batsman Alex Hales comes with a big reputation in white ball cricket. He is a renowned hitter of the cricket ball. In the PSL 2018, he played for the Islamabad United. Hales could only muster 87 runs in the four matches that he played with a top score of 46. He did not look his usual self in the competition.

In the IPL 2018, Hales got his opportunity quite late in the season. In his very first game for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, he scored a crucial 45 against the Rajasthan Royals. He backed it up with another 45 against the Delhi Daredevils. Later, he scored a quick 37 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore as well.

2. Andre Russell – West Indies

Andre Russell was on absolute beast mode this season in the IPL. In one of the fixtures against the Delhi Daredevils, he smacked Mohammed Shami for five sixes in the innings. Also, in the clash against the Chennai Super Kings, he hit an unbeaten 88 off just 36 deliveries with 11 sixes to his name. In the 16 matches that he played, he accumulated 316 runs with a strike rate of 184.79.

He contributed with the ball as well, taking 13 wickets at an average of 27.30. In the PSL 2018, Russell turned up for the Islamabad United. He could only play four matches and failed to have a big impact. His solitary bright spot was a last ball six against the Lahore Qalandars to win the Super Over for his side. He was ruled out of the tournament due to an injury after playing just 4 games, in which he took 4 wickets.

3. Sunil Narine – West Indies

Sunil Narine is a globe trotter in the T20 leagues across the cricket world. He emerged as the Most Valuable Player of the IPL 2018. Narine scored 357 runs in the 16 matches that he played in the season and had a phenomenal strike rate of 189.89. He hit two fifties with a top score of 75 to his name in the season.

With the ball, he returned with 17 wickets to his kitty with an economy rate of 7.65. Earlier, in the PSL 2018, Narine had played 9 matches for the Lahore Qalandars to bag 10 wickets. He, however, failed to deliver with the bat for the Qalandars. He could only muster 98 runs in the 9 matches that he played with a best of 28.

4. Mitchell McClenaghan – New Zealand

New Zealand speedster Mitch McClenaghan has been an integral part of the Mumbai Indians in the IPL roster. However, he did not find a place in the side at the auctions this year. He made a comeback to the IPL roster as a replacement player and found himself in the playing eleven straightaway. He was very impressive with the new ball and proved to be a wicket taker for his side on almost every occasion.

In the 11 matches that he played, he scalped 14 wickets at an economy rate just over 8. On the contrary, in the PSL this season, McClenaghan had a poor time with the ball. He could only take two wickets in the four matches that he played for the Lahore Qalandars. He leaked runs at an economy of almost 9 in the tournament.

5. Ben Laughlin – Australia

Australian speedster Ben Laughlin is one of the promising talents in the shortest format of the game. He was one of the few players who played in both the popular leagues this season. In the PSL 2018, Laughlin played for the Quetta Gladiators. The 35 year old had a terrible outing in his first PSL game as he returned with 1/37 in the game against the Multan Sultans.

He went on to play two more games but could only bag two more wickets. In the IPL, he played for the Rajasthan Royals and left a serious imprint first up. His best came against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in a virtual quarter final game in league stages. He scalped 2/15 to seal the fate of the game for his side. In the 7 matches that he played, he scalped 9 wickets.

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