The first half of the 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League is done and dusted. All teams, as on April 28, 2018, have played 7 matches each. They are now set to play the second half and the business end of the IPL 2018. In the first month of the tournament, the fans were thoroughly entertained with some exciting brand of cricket. Some new faces rose to the occasion to make a name for themselves at the big stage.

At the same time, some of the legendary names proved why they have been stalwarts of the game. In fact, even retired international cricketers like Shane Watson showed that he still has it in him to be an impact player. While the first half of the season has given many reasons to rejoice for some of the players, there have been a few who are left disappointed at the end of the first leg.

These big names have largely let their teams down, have let their fans down, and more importantly, have let themselves down. Here we pick such Indian cricketers who have failed to leave an impression in the IPL thus far. They will now be hoping to perform better in the coming fixtures of the tournament.

Here are the 5 Indian Players who need to perform better this season:

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Ravichandran-Ashwin-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-245434" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ravichandran-Ashwin-2.jpg" alt="Ravichandran Ashwin &amp; Yuvraj Singh" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-245434" class="wp-caption-text">Yuvraj Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin of Kings XI Punjab. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/IANS)</figcaption>

The veteran Indian batsman, Yuvraj Singh, made a comeback in the Kings XI Punjab side this season. He was finally back to the dugout from where he had started off his IPL career. Much to his disappointment, and the disappointment of his fans, the performances of Yuvraj Singh have been far from being impressive.

He was recently dropped from the side as well. In the six matches that he played in the season, Yuvraj could only muster 50 runs with a top score of 20. He averaged under 13 with the bat in hand. Furthermore, while most of the KXIP batsmen hit runs at brisk rate, Yuvraj batted with a strike rate of 89.28.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Gautam-Gambhir-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-244851" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Gautam-Gambhir-2.jpg" alt="Gautam Gambhir" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-244851" class="wp-caption-text">Gautam Gambhir of Delhi Daredevils. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Gautam Gambhir stepped on the field riding on some very high hopes of the Delhi Daredevils camp and the fans. Gambhir, who has been a very successful captain in the history of the IPL, took over the captaincy duties of the Delhi Daredevils this season. Much to his disappointment, he could only win one game for this side. Following a string of defeats,<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/twitter-reactions-gautam-gambhir-resigns-captain-delhi-daredevils/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Gambhir stepped down as the captain</strong></a> of the franchise.

On the personal front, Gambhir had made an excellent start to the season. He had hit a brilliant 55, albeit in vain, in the first game of DD in the seaon against the Kings XI Punjab. However, he failed to keep the good work going. He could hardly get going in the matches that followed and had a series of single digit scores to his name. In the 6 matches that he played, he aggregated just 85 runs at an average of 17.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Hardik-Pandya.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-237812" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Hardik-Pandya.jpg" alt="Hardik Pandya" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-237812" class="wp-caption-text">Hardik Pandya of MI celebrates a wicket. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

The Mumbai Indians had decided to retain the services of their star all-rounder<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-twitter-pounces-hardik-pandya-lacklustre-knock/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Hardik Pandya</strong></a> prior to the IPL Auctions this year. Certainly, the Baroda all-rounder has made a big name for himself in world cricket already. However, he has largely disappointed in the IPL 2018 thus far. Neither has Pandya clicked with the bat, nor has he tasted success with the ball.

In the 6 matches that he has played in the season thus far, he has only scored 61 runs at a poor average of about 20. With the ball, he has managed to take wickets but has failed to contain the run flow. He has 8 wickets to his name, which looks like an impressive number. But when seen on a broader scale, he has leaked runs at 8.64 runs per over this season.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-241668" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Jaydev-Unadkat.jpg" alt width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-241668" class="wp-caption-text">Jaydev Unadkat. (Photo by Ravi Shankar Vyas/IANS)</figcaption>

Jaydev Unadkat entered the 2018 edition of the IPL riding on some serious reputation of being an IPL specialist. Last season, he was a top performer for the Rising Pune Supergiant with the ball. Hence, the Rajasthan Royals hoped that Unadkat would replicate his heroics for them as well.

They shelled out big bucks for him and made him the highest earning Indian bowler in the tournament. But Unadkat lost his plot big time this season. He was all over the place with his line and lengths. He could only only take 3 wickets in the 6 matches that he played. This, in itself, shows how bad his season has been thus far.

Sarfraz Khan &#8211; Royal Challengers Bangalore

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-62490" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Sarfaraz-Khan.jpg" alt="Sarfaraz Khan" width="600" height="409" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-62490" class="wp-caption-text">Sarfaraz Khan. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

The Royal Challengers Bangalore surprised all by retaining the services of Sarfaraz Khan ahead of the IPL auctions this year. While many were unsure about the move, some believed that RCB played the masterstroke by retaining a talented player like Sarfaraz. However, he ended up being a big disappointment for the team.

Sarfaraz Khan ended up with single digit scores in all the matches that he played in the season. Sarfraz played three matches and was picked ahead of other Indian cricketers in the lineup. He could only score 11 runs in the three matches that he played. Furthermore, the way he was dismissed in all the games was largely disappointing.

<em>For the latest <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>cricket news</strong></a>, follow <strong><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CricTracker</a>.</strong></em>

<p>The first half of the 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League is done and dusted. All teams, as on April 28, 2018, have played 7 matches each. They are now set to play the second half and the business end of the IPL 2018. In the first month of the tournament, the fans were thoroughly entertained with some exciting brand of cricket. Some new faces rose to the occasion to make a name for themselves at the big stage.</p>
<p>At the same time, some of the legendary names proved why they have been stalwarts of the game. In fact, even retired international cricketers like Shane Watson showed that he still has it in him to be an impact player. While the first half of the season has given many reasons to rejoice for some of the players, there have been a few who are left disappointed at the end of the first leg.</p>
<p>These big names have largely let their teams down, have let their fans down, and more importantly, have let themselves down. Here we pick such Indian cricketers who have failed to leave an impression in the IPL thus far. They will now be hoping to perform better in the coming fixtures of the tournament.</p>
<h3>Here are the 5 Indian Players who need to perform better this season:</h3>
<h4>Yuvraj Singh – Kings XI Punjab</h4>
<figure id="attachment_245434" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-245434" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Ravichandran-Ashwin-2.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-245434" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ravichandran-Ashwin-2.jpg" alt="Ravichandran Ashwin &amp; Yuvraj Singh" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-245434" class="wp-caption-text">Yuvraj Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin of Kings XI Punjab. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/IANS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The veteran Indian batsman, Yuvraj Singh, made a comeback in the Kings XI Punjab side this season. He was finally back to the dugout from where he had started off his IPL career. Much to his disappointment, and the disappointment of his fans, the performances of Yuvraj Singh have been far from being impressive.</p>
<p>He was recently dropped from the side as well. In the six matches that he played in the season, Yuvraj could only muster 50 runs with a top score of 20. He averaged under 13 with the bat in hand. Furthermore, while most of the KXIP batsmen hit runs at brisk rate, Yuvraj batted with a strike rate of 89.28.</p>
<h4>Gautam Gambhir – Delhi Daredevils</h4>
<figure id="attachment_244851" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-244851" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Gautam-Gambhir-2.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-244851" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Gautam-Gambhir-2.jpg" alt="Gautam Gambhir" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-244851" class="wp-caption-text">Gautam Gambhir of Delhi Daredevils. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Gautam Gambhir stepped on the field riding on some very high hopes of the Delhi Daredevils camp and the fans. Gambhir, who has been a very successful captain in the history of the IPL, took over the captaincy duties of the Delhi Daredevils this season. Much to his disappointment, he could only win one game for this side. Following a string of defeats,<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/twitter-reactions-gautam-gambhir-resigns-captain-delhi-daredevils/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Gambhir stepped down as the captain</strong></a> of the franchise.</p>
<p>On the personal front, Gambhir had made an excellent start to the season. He had hit a brilliant 55, albeit in vain, in the first game of DD in the seaon against the Kings XI Punjab. However, he failed to keep the good work going. He could hardly get going in the matches that followed and had a series of single digit scores to his name. In the 6 matches that he played, he aggregated just 85 runs at an average of 17.</p>
<h4>Hardik Pandya – Mumbai Indians</h4>
<figure id="attachment_237812" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-237812" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Hardik-Pandya.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-237812" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Hardik-Pandya.jpg" alt="Hardik Pandya" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-237812" class="wp-caption-text">Hardik Pandya of MI celebrates a wicket. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The Mumbai Indians had decided to retain the services of their star all-rounder<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-twitter-pounces-hardik-pandya-lacklustre-knock/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Hardik Pandya</strong></a> prior to the IPL Auctions this year. Certainly, the Baroda all-rounder has made a big name for himself in world cricket already. However, he has largely disappointed in the IPL 2018 thus far. Neither has Pandya clicked with the bat, nor has he tasted success with the ball.</p>
<p>In the 6 matches that he has played in the season thus far, he has only scored 61 runs at a poor average of about 20. With the ball, he has managed to take wickets but has failed to contain the run flow. He has 8 wickets to his name, which looks like an impressive number. But when seen on a broader scale, he has leaked runs at 8.64 runs per over this season.</p>
<h4>Jaydev Unadkat – Rajasthan Royals</h4>
<figure id="attachment_241668" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-241668" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-241668" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Jaydev-Unadkat.jpg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-241668" class="wp-caption-text">Jaydev Unadkat. (Photo by Ravi Shankar Vyas/IANS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Jaydev Unadkat entered the 2018 edition of the IPL riding on some serious reputation of being an IPL specialist. Last season, he was a top performer for the Rising Pune Supergiant with the ball. Hence, the Rajasthan Royals hoped that Unadkat would replicate his heroics for them as well.</p>
<p>They shelled out big bucks for him and made him the highest earning Indian bowler in the tournament. But Unadkat lost his plot big time this season. He was all over the place with his line and lengths. He could only only take 3 wickets in the 6 matches that he played. This, in itself, shows how bad his season has been thus far.</p>
<h4>Sarfraz Khan – Royal Challengers Bangalore</h4>
<figure id="attachment_62490" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-62490" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-62490" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Sarfaraz-Khan.jpg" alt="Sarfaraz Khan" width="600" height="409" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-62490" class="wp-caption-text">Sarfaraz Khan. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The Royal Challengers Bangalore surprised all by retaining the services of Sarfaraz Khan ahead of the IPL auctions this year. While many were unsure about the move, some believed that RCB played the masterstroke by retaining a talented player like Sarfaraz. However, he ended up being a big disappointment for the team.</p>
<p>Sarfaraz Khan ended up with single digit scores in all the matches that he played in the season.&nbsp;Sarfraz played three matches and was picked ahead of other Indian cricketers in the lineup. He could only score 11 runs in the three matches that he played. Furthermore, the way he was dismissed in all the games was largely disappointing.</p>
<p><em>For the&nbsp;latest&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>cricket news</strong></a>, follow&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CricTracker</a>.</strong></em></p>

<p>The first half of the 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League is done and dusted. All teams, as on April 28, 2018, have played 7 matches each. They are now set to play the second half and the business end of the IPL 2018. In the first month of the tournament, the fans were thoroughly entertained with some exciting brand of cricket. Some new faces rose to the occasion to make a name for themselves at the big stage.</p>
<p>At the same time, some of the legendary names proved why they have been stalwarts of the game. In fact, even retired international cricketers like Shane Watson showed that he still has it in him to be an impact player. While the first half of the season has given many reasons to rejoice for some of the players, there have been a few who are left disappointed at the end of the first leg.</p>
<p>These big names have largely let their teams down, have let their fans down, and more importantly, have let themselves down. Here we pick such Indian cricketers who have failed to leave an impression in the IPL thus far. They will now be hoping to perform better in the coming fixtures of the tournament.</p>
<h3>Here are the 5 Indian Players who need to perform better this season:</h3>
<h4>Yuvraj Singh &#8211; Kings XI Punjab</h4>
<figure id="attachment_245434" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-245434" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Ravichandran-Ashwin-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-245434" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ravichandran-Ashwin-2.jpg" alt="Ravichandran Ashwin &amp; Yuvraj Singh" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-245434" class="wp-caption-text">Yuvraj Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin of Kings XI Punjab. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/IANS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The veteran Indian batsman, Yuvraj Singh, made a comeback in the Kings XI Punjab side this season. He was finally back to the dugout from where he had started off his IPL career. Much to his disappointment, and the disappointment of his fans, the performances of Yuvraj Singh have been far from being impressive.</p>
<p>He was recently dropped from the side as well. In the six matches that he played in the season, Yuvraj could only muster 50 runs with a top score of 20. He averaged under 13 with the bat in hand. Furthermore, while most of the KXIP batsmen hit runs at brisk rate, Yuvraj batted with a strike rate of 89.28.</p>
<h4>Gautam Gambhir &#8211; Delhi Daredevils</h4>
<figure id="attachment_244851" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-244851" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Gautam-Gambhir-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-244851" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Gautam-Gambhir-2.jpg" alt="Gautam Gambhir" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-244851" class="wp-caption-text">Gautam Gambhir of Delhi Daredevils. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Gautam Gambhir stepped on the field riding on some very high hopes of the Delhi Daredevils camp and the fans. Gambhir, who has been a very successful captain in the history of the IPL, took over the captaincy duties of the Delhi Daredevils this season. Much to his disappointment, he could only win one game for this side. Following a string of defeats,<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/twitter-reactions-gautam-gambhir-resigns-captain-delhi-daredevils/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Gambhir stepped down as the captain</strong></a> of the franchise.</p>
<p>On the personal front, Gambhir had made an excellent start to the season. He had hit a brilliant 55, albeit in vain, in the first game of DD in the seaon against the Kings XI Punjab. However, he failed to keep the good work going. He could hardly get going in the matches that followed and had a series of single digit scores to his name. In the 6 matches that he played, he aggregated just 85 runs at an average of 17.</p>
<h4>Hardik Pandya &#8211; Mumbai Indians</h4>
<figure id="attachment_237812" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-237812" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/04/Hardik-Pandya.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-237812" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Hardik-Pandya.jpg" alt="Hardik Pandya" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-237812" class="wp-caption-text">Hardik Pandya of MI celebrates a wicket. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The Mumbai Indians had decided to retain the services of their star all-rounder<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2018-twitter-pounces-hardik-pandya-lacklustre-knock/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Hardik Pandya</strong></a> prior to the IPL Auctions this year. Certainly, the Baroda all-rounder has made a big name for himself in world cricket already. However, he has largely disappointed in the IPL 2018 thus far. Neither has Pandya clicked with the bat, nor has he tasted success with the ball.</p>
<p>In the 6 matches that he has played in the season thus far, he has only scored 61 runs at a poor average of about 20. With the ball, he has managed to take wickets but has failed to contain the run flow. He has 8 wickets to his name, which looks like an impressive number. But when seen on a broader scale, he has leaked runs at 8.64 runs per over this season.</p>
<h4>Jaydev Unadkat &#8211; Rajasthan Royals</h4>
<figure id="attachment_241668" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-241668" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-241668" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Jaydev-Unadkat.jpg" alt width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-241668" class="wp-caption-text">Jaydev Unadkat. (Photo by Ravi Shankar Vyas/IANS)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Jaydev Unadkat entered the 2018 edition of the IPL riding on some serious reputation of being an IPL specialist. Last season, he was a top performer for the Rising Pune Supergiant with the ball. Hence, the Rajasthan Royals hoped that Unadkat would replicate his heroics for them as well.</p>
<p>They shelled out big bucks for him and made him the highest earning Indian bowler in the tournament. But Unadkat lost his plot big time this season. He was all over the place with his line and lengths. He could only only take 3 wickets in the 6 matches that he played. This, in itself, shows how bad his season has been thus far.</p>
<h4>Sarfraz Khan &#8211; Royal Challengers Bangalore</h4>
<figure id="attachment_62490" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-62490" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-62490" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Sarfaraz-Khan.jpg" alt="Sarfaraz Khan" width="600" height="409" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-62490" class="wp-caption-text">Sarfaraz Khan. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The Royal Challengers Bangalore surprised all by retaining the services of Sarfaraz Khan ahead of the IPL auctions this year. While many were unsure about the move, some believed that RCB played the masterstroke by retaining a talented player like Sarfaraz. However, he ended up being a big disappointment for the team.</p>
<p>Sarfaraz Khan ended up with single digit scores in all the matches that he played in the season. Sarfraz played three matches and was picked ahead of other Indian cricketers in the lineup. He could only score 11 runs in the three matches that he played. Furthermore, the way he was dismissed in all the games was largely disappointing.</p>
<p><em>For the latest <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>cricket news</strong></a>, follow <strong><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CricTracker</a>.</strong></em></p>

These big Indian names will have to up their game in the second half of the season.

IPL 2018: Mid-Season Review - Indian players who need to perform better

The first half of the 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League is done and dusted. All teams, as on April 28, 2018, have played 7 matches each. They are