7 Major flops of the IPL 2016 so far

Many players had come into IPL 2016 with a big reputation in their bag but have largely disappointed with their performances so far. While the list could be a very big one, here we pick the biggest flops or the disappointments of the season so far. At one end, we have the likes of Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir, who have set new highs in this season; and at the other we have this list who have plunged to new depths. Read on to find the big names who came in with a lot of promise but are yet to deliver:

1. Hardik Pandya – Mumbai Indians:

Hardik Pandya was being tipped to be the answer for the all-rounder woes of the national team. Having played for India down under, the Asia Cup and the World T20, Pandya came in with a big reputation this season. Such was his demeanor at the start of the season that the team management promoted him to the number 3 spot in batting. He responded with scores of 9, 9 and 2. While his brother Krunal Pandya picked up pace in the tournament and made a name for himself, Hardik has only shown dip in form with both bat and the ball. Having scored just 37 runs in 10 matches so far, he is surely not living up to the international name. With the ball, though he hasn’t been used regularly Hardik has picked 3 wickets in 10 matches.

How did the week gone by play? – IPL 2016 Weekly Roundup: Week 4

2. Pawan Negi – Delhi Daredevils

The Delhi all-rounder Pawan Negi got the highest bid among Indian players at the IPL 2016 auctions. The Delhi Daredevils shelled over 8 crores for his services but Negi has only disappointed. Call it the lack of opportunities or sheer poor performance, Negi’s run so far has not been impressive. He is yet to pick up a wicket this season. He has featured in 7 matches so far but has the top score of just 19*, that he scored against the Rising Pune Supergiants. Clearly, the Pawan Negi that has turned up for the Daredevils is looking nowhere close to the one that played for Chennai Super Kings.

3. Shreyas Iyer – Delhi Daredevils:

Prior to the IPL, Shreyas Iyer had amassed 1321 runs at an average of 73.38 in the 2015-16 Ranji trophy, including a century in the final, to help Mumbai storm to their 41st title. The Mumbai lad had a fantastic last season for the Delhi Daredevils. All he needed to do was perform well in this season to get in the reckoning for the national side. But, he could score just 22 runs in the 5 opportunities he got, which included 3 ducks. He was dropped from the side then. Shreyas Iyer had a very good chance of making it in the national squad for the Zimbabwe tour next month. But now with such poor outing, he has only messed up things for himself.

4. David Miller – Kings XI Punjab:

David Miller started this season as the captain of the Kings XI Punjab. Such miserable were his performance that he had to relinquish his captaincy in a bid to concentrate on his batting. The move, however, hasn’t worked so far. His poor performances have reflected on the team’s performance too, as he is the mainstay of the Kings XI batting. With just 131 runs in 10 matches, Miller had failed to reach the double figures on 5 occasions and has crossed the 30-run mark just twice. There were moments when the team needed his big hitting, but he disappointed.

5. Ravichandran Ashwin – Rising Pune Supergiants:

Tagged as one of the leading spinners in world cricket today, Ravichandran Ashwin is having a horrid IPL season thus far. Ashwin is known for picking up wickets early in the innings, but this year has failed to replicate his heroics of Chennai Super Kings for the Rising Pune Supergiants. In the 10 matches that he has played, he has picked up on 3 wickets. Let alone taking wickets, Ashwin has failed miserably to contain the run flow in the middle overs too. 25-0-183-3 is his bowling stat at the moment after 10 matches. If RPS ever wishes to win a match, they need him to fire.

6. Sunil Narine – Kolkata Knight Riders:

The mystery spinner Sunil Narine made his comeback to cricket after correcting his action this year. The new action is certainly not reaping the same benefits for the wily West Indian spinner. Such poor has been his performance that he has actually been dropped out of the playing eleven. Narine has picked up 6 wickets in 6 matches thus far but has the economy on the higher side. He was taken for 0/45 in his 4 overs in the match against RCB. Has the mystery of Narine been decoded? It definitely looks like.

7. MS Dhoni – Rising Pune Supergiants:

It is a very painful moment to actually state that MS Dhoni is having a poor IPL. With a reputation of being a champion leader, Dhoni has failed with his moves as a captain this season. Ashwin used to be his go-to man in the powerplays, but now hardly gets his quota of 4 overs. Benching Irfan Pathan for the entire season hasn’t gone down well with many too. In his defense, it can be said he has got a poor team to play with, but that is what makes a great leader. On the personal front too, Dhoni has got the starts but hasn’t made a big impact yet. Playing run-a-ball innings in matches when the asking rate has been high, Dhoni has missed his trick there. He is yet to hit a fifty in the tournament.

Also read – 10 Instances when MS Dhoni absolutely owned the media with his wits