India vs Windies, T20I Series 2018 - Flop XI

India ended their home season by whitewashing Windies after an anticlimactic finish in Chennai. There were some brilliant performances that were on display throughout the series. Be it the scintillating century from Rohit Sharma, unbelievable bowling by Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah or the fabulous knock by Nicholas Pooran, it was all great to watch.

However, some players who were carrying huge expectations ended up disappointing one and all. They definitely didn’t perform up to their potential and were a complete turn off for the fans. They let their team down at critical junctures of the match. Here is an XI of those players who didn’t live up to the expectations.

Flop XI of the series

1. Shimron Hetmyer

There was a lot of talk about Shimron Hetmyer before the start of the T20I series. This bloke had a great CPL as well as the ODI series against India and stakes were high. With the IPL auction around, many expected him to prove what he is capable of and light up some fireworks.

However, despite all the big-hitting reputation that he has got, Hetmyer ended up being a huge disappointment. He threw away the starts that he got more often than not. In three games, he only managed to pile up 51 runs at an average of 17.

2. KL Rahul

In the absence of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul had a wonderful opportunity to bat at number three. He could have sealed his spot in the XI but had a poor outing on all the three occasions. He did play some glorious shots but failed terribly with his consistency.

The Karnataka batsman didn’t utilise the chance that he had and only scored 59 runs in three innings. His shot selection at times was questionable and went too hard after the bowlers for the liking of a player of his class. The 26-year-old will open the innings with Hetmyer in this flop XI.

3. Shai Hope

Although Shai Hope doesn’t play much T20 cricket, he was included in the squad at the last moment. However, many were positive that he would come good watching him bat in the ODI series. Also, he got to open the innings in the last two games and had the advantage of the batting powerplay.

But, Hope, for all the talent that he has, didn’t convert it into something substantial. He looked good as long as he was out there in the middle. But, the ways in which he got out is quite unacceptable. In three games, this wicketkeeper-batsman only managed to score 44 runs.

4. Rishabh Pant

There was quite some buzz about Rishabh Pant making it into the Indian squad as he was replacing the legendary MS Dhoni. With good performances in the Test squad, many opined that he had settled in well in the international arena. Also, given his big-hitting ability, he was trusted to give India some big push during the middle overs.

However, his performances weren’t as convincing. His shot selection was pathetic and went with one shot too many. Agreed that he played a vital knock in the final T20I but he was just too lucky at times and got away with his rash shots. 58 out of the 64 runs he scored in the series came in just one innings which isn’t as pleasing.

5. Manish Pandey

Manish Pandey has got limited opportunities in recent times. But, this series was a wonderful platform for him to display what he has got in the absence of a few senior players. Since he didn’t play a lot of cricket after the dream run he had in the Quadrangular series, Manish had everything that he asked for and was expected to hold the middle order together.

In the first T20I, he scored 19 off 24 balls and found it extremely tough to get the shots going. Even in the third game, when he walked out to bat in a crunch situation, he consumed deliveries and wasn’t at his fluent best. He was lucky to have got the single off that last ball, otherwise which he would have faced a lot of bashing.

6. Kieron Pollard (c)

Kieron Pollard made his comeback into the T20I side after over a year for this series. With him being the most experienced T20 player in the Windies side, he was expected to come good. Furthermore, with all the IPL cricket that he has played, he knew the Indian conditions in and out.

But only if he had made proper use of all this experience. Pollard consumed way too many deliveries and increased the pressure on the other batsmen. His strike rate was pathetic and he only got 20 runs in two innings which was very disappointing. Pollard will also be leading this flop XI.

7. Denesh Ramdin (wk)

Another player who was coming off a really good CPL was Denesh Ramdin. While he opened the innings in the series opener, he batted at number four in the remaining two games. Ramdin, who played some aggressive cricket back home in the T20 league was expected to do the same in India.

But, he failed to have a good outing on all three occasions. He erred fatally with his shot choice and put his team into trouble in crucial circumstances. He scored 27 runs at an average of 9 and will keep the wickets in this flop XI.

8. Carlos Brathwaite

There was quite some buzz about the Windies skipper as he was playing at the same venue in the first T20I where he hit Ben Stokes for four consecutive sixes to win the World T20 2016. He was expected to be a huge threat for India with the bat along with his bowling.

But, Brathwaite played uncharacteristic innings both the times when he had a chance to bat. In the first T20I, he scored 4 runs off 11 balls. He was unbeaten on 15 off 19 balls in the second game. With the ball in hand, he picked two wickets at an average of 54 which isn’t perfect for T20 cricket.

9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The breaks and the injuries haven’t done much good to Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Arguably one of the finest pacers in India, this Uttar Pradesh bowler looked extremely rusty in both the games that he played in the series. Although he gets his variations spot-on usually, it wasn’t the same this time around.

Bhuvi picked two wickets in two games at an average of 25.50. However, his economy was good in the series and he has a lot to work on before the tour down under.

10. Umesh Yadav

Umesh Yadav only featured in one game in the series and was then pulled out of the squad. While it is uncertain if it was due to the poor show or if he required rest. Umesh didn’t look good bowling in the final few overs. He was very expensive which makes him ineffective and less of an asset for the team. The pacer failed to hit the correct areas and was hit to the cleaners. He conceded 36 runs in the first T20I and picked one wicket. Eventually, he was dropped for the next game.

11. Khary Pierre

This 27-year-old is a useful left-arm orthodox bowler and a handy batsman down the order. His performances in CPL 2018 and Global T20 Canada were decent enough. Hence, he earned a place in the squad for the tour of India. But, Khary failed to carry the same form forward into this series. He bowled 10 overs in three innings but only accounted for two scalps. His average of 39 and economy which was touching 8 wasn’t exciting enough.

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