IPL 2020: Teamwise one bowler who is a burden for his side

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has given rise to bowling talents like Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Yuzvendra Chahal and many more over the years. However, there is no denying the fact that it is extremely difficult for the bowlers out there to perform consistently in the league.

With batting-friendly tracks and small grounds in the UAE, teams do not seem to miss their home country that much. This season has not been any less cumbersome for the bowlers, be it pacers or spinners. In this article, we talk about one bowler from each franchise who has been a burden for their respective teams as of now.

Here are are the bowlers:

1. Royal Challengers Bangalore- Umesh Yadav

Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore have registered two wins in the first three games this season. However, they haven’t entirely solved their bowling woes yet. Pacer Umesh Yadav underperformed with the ball in both the games.

In the clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Umesh was largely responsible in giving Jonny Bairstow the required momentum in a tough run chase in Dubai. Figures of 0/48 in 4 overs, especially in a run-chase of 163, was a major concern for RCB.

Against Kings XI Punjab, things did not improve at all. He again conceded 35 runs in 3 overs without picking up a wicket. RCB would be hoping that their current bowling combination works out in the best for them, and their bowling issues do not persist.

2. Chennai Super Kings- Lungi Ngidi

Chennai Super Kings have one win to their name after the first three games. However, CSK haven’t done that well with the ball. For the MS Dhoni-led side, Lungi Ngidi has been extremely expensive in the two games which he has played.

In the match against Mumbai Indians, Ngidi did pick up 3 crucial wickets. However, they came at the expense of 38 runs in 4 overs. In a relatively less-scoring game, he ended up conceding 29 runs in the first 2 overs, both of which were bowled in the Powerplay.

Although Ngidi took 3 wickets for 9 runs in the death overs in the first game, things worsened in the clash against Rajasthan Royals. He conceded 56 runs in the 4 overs and took just 1 wicket. 30 of those runs came in the final over of the innings, thereby giving Rajasthan the momentum going into the second innings.

3. Mumbai Indians- James Pattinson

Mumbai Indians have won two matches in their first four fixtures and are sitting at the top of the points table. They were decent with the ball in the first two games, but they seemed off-colour in the clash against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Although star-bowler Jasprit Bumrah has looked out of form, he still played a vital role in the victory against Kolkata.

Pattinson took 1/27 in the first match against Chennai. He took the solitary wicket of an out of form Murali Vijay. Against Kolkata, he picked up one crucial wicket of Sunil Narine, who has been out of form with the bat. He also took the inconsequential wicket of Pat Cummins, after the game was all but closed. He had figures of 2/25.

After looking at his first two performances, it might seem extremely harsh to consider him as a burden. But in the match against RCB, he gave away 51 runs without picking up a single wicket. Being a foreign pacer, he needs to do justice to the foreign spot he is occupying with more consistency up front. The likes of Nathan Coulter-Nile, who can bat as well, are waiting in the reserves.

4. Delhi Capitals- Avesh Khan

Delhi Capitals are sitting second in the points table after the commencement of the first 10 days of the league. They have one of the strongest bowling attacks in the league. However, the form of Avesh Khan could be a slight cause of concern for the young Shreyas Iyer-led side.

Avesh Khan has played a solitary game against Chennai Super Kings, conceding 42 runs in 4 overs. He could not pick up any wickets as well. He was the only bowler with a high economy rate on Delhi’s side that night.

While Khan has now been replaced by Sharma, who has recovered from his injury issues, he might get a go once again. He neither looked threatening nor stemmed the flow of runs. As a backup bowler, he must be ready to step up with good performances for the team at any point in time.

5. Sunrisers Hyderabad- Sandeep Sharma

Sunrisers Hyderabad won their first match of the season against Delhi Capitals, thereby making it 1 win in the first three games. SRH have bowled well in all three matches. However, the form of veteran Sandeep Sharma is a bit of an issue.

Sharma conceded 36 runs in 4 overs without taking any wickets in the first match against Royal Challengers Bangalore. He gave the Bangalore openers the license to free themselves, which proved to be crucial in the end, with RCB winning the game by 10 runs.

Sharma has done well for SRH over the years, and his dip in form is a slight worry for the Orange Army. With Natarajan now doing well, Sandeep is effectively a burden for the SRH squad with the ball based on his current form.

6. Rajasthan Royals- Jaydev Unadkat

Rajasthan Royals have started well this season, winning 2 out of their first 3 games. However, their bowling has looked lacklustre barring Jofra Archer and Rahul Tewatia. Jaydev Unadkat has once again failed to perform as per the faith the franchise have reinstated in him.

Unadkat conceded 44 runs in 4 overs in the first game against Chennai Super Kings without picking up a single wicket. In the next match against Kings XI, he conceded 30 runs in 3 overs without picking up any wickets. His performance improved a bit in the next game, where he took an off-colour Sunil Narine’s wicket but only bowled two overs.

It is essential for the Indian core to perform if teams want to win championships. Unadkat has neither stemmed the flow of runs nor picked up wickets. He must perform, else RR should look for other alternatives.

7. Kings XI Punjab- Chris Jordan

Kings XI Punjab won one out of their first three fixtures. Although they played well in all three games, they were unlucky both the times they lost. However, their bowling has been a concern barring the RCB game where their performance was clinical. One such disappointment for KXIP has been Chris Jordan.

Jordan was touted to be KXIP’s strike bowler in the death overs. However, he disappointed heavily in the very first fixture. He gave away 56 runs without taking a single wicket in the 4 overs in the first match against Delhi Capitals, after which he was dropped.

He went for 30 runs in the final over, which had a major role to play in Delhi’s victory eventually. He is a burden for KXIP for now considering the fact that he takes up a foreign spot. Teams cannot afford their foreign players to slip up at any cost.

8. Kolkata Knight Riders- Kuldeep Yadav

Kolkata Knight Riders won two consecutive games on the trot after losing their first match to Mumbai Indians. They have come back extremely well with the ball after the initial hiccup against MI. However, the Kuldeep Yadav conundrum still persists for KKR.

Kuldeep conceded 39 runs in 4 overs in the clash against Mumbai without taking any wickets. In the next game, he picked up one wicket at the expense of 15 runs, but he only bowled 2 overs. In the match against RR, he picked up 1/20 in 3 overs. The surprising thing, however, was captain Dinesh Karthik giving Yadav the ball in the 16th over, when the match was all but over.

Kuldeep hasn’t done “bad” per se, but skipper Karthik has not shown enough faith in the left-arm chinaman. He is almost using him as his 5th or 6th bowling option, which means that the captain considers his poor form a burden. KKR would be better off getting in Rahul Tripathi in place of him to maintain their balance.

Written by~ Shayan Khan