IPL 2021: Best and worst player from each team in league stage

With the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League moving into the playoff stage, the franchises have given their best. Like the last year, the playoffs spots were filled at the end of the final league game. This time too, there were so many memorable moments.  

Mumbai Indians is knocked out of the tournament. The huge task of winning the match against SRH by a margin of 171 runs was practically impossible. But, they managed to defeat them, thanks to Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav’s knocks. 

PBKS lost matches they should have won, and RR, as usual, failed to maintain consistency. CSK has somehow lost momentum, too, as they have lost three consecutive games. Adding on, DC, RCB have been extremely good in terms of performance.

Here are the best and worst players from each team in IPL 2021 league stage: 

DC: Best Player- Prithvi Shaw, Worst Player- Lalit Yadav

Prithvi Shaw has finally found his mojo this IPL. Although his second leg of the IPL has been a bit bland, he has done enough for DC. This is mainly because of his strike rate.

Of the 255 balls he has faced, he has been scoring at a strike rate of 157.25. This means the targets of the 150s or 160s are chased down with ease. He had smashed six boundaries in an over to decimate KKR during the first half. Well, in this situation, someone like Dhawan could take his time to build his inning. 

Talking about their worst performer, it has to be Lalit Yadav. Not because of his bowling, but because of his batting. Being a middle-order batsman, he has been scoring at a strike rate of just 93.15. As Delhi’s middle-order already has the services of Iyer, there is no point in playing Lalit Yadav. 

SRH: Best Player- Rashid Khan, Worst Player- David Warner

This has been one of the worst seasons for Sunrisers Hyderabad and they have finished at the bottom. For them, their best performer has been Rashid Khan. In 14 matches, he has scored 83 runs down the order. Adding on, he has picked 18 wickets in a season where other bowlers have been leaking runs. The Afghan superstar has been bowing at an economy of 6.89. He has been terrific on the field as well. 

848, 641, 692, 548, and 195. This has been Warner’s tally from 2016 till 2021. As he has played his final game for SRH, it is time for him to find a new home. It has been a poor season for him and maybe, he needs to find better management. There is no doubt that world-class players know how to bounce back, and Warner will silence his critics soon.

RR: Best Player- Sanju Samson, Worst Player- Chris Morris

Yet another season, yet another disappointment for RR fans. Even though they had the best overseas players, they failed to perform at their best. For most of the time, they had to depend on individual performances rather than team effort. And as a result, they could win few matches.

There is no doubt that their best player has been Sanju Samson. It seems like the responsibility of captaincy has made him more mature as a batsman. In 14 games, he scored 484 runs at a decent strike rate of 136.72. And he had an excellent average of 40.33 as well. 

This time, their most expensive player was their worst performer. Chris Morris got it all wrong this time. He could not even grip the ball in the humid conditions in the UAE. He bowled at the pads and gave away too many extras as well.

PBKS: Best Player- KL Rahul, Worst Player- Jhye Richarson

If losing a match from a comfortable position is an art, then Punjab Kings as a team is the Picasso of it. They lost so many matches from a comfortable position this time too. However, they were the most entertaining team this year. 

This time, their best player was their captain. KL Rahul scored 626 runs in 13 innings. With the highest score of 98, he scored at an average of 62.60. He had an improved strike rate of 138.80 this time. 

Just like RR, PBKS wasted crores on a player who performed poorly. Jhye Richardson was acquired by PBKS for a huge amount of 14 crores. He played just 3 IPL games and picked 3 wickets. With an economy rate of 10.63, he was a liability for PBKS.

RCB: Best Player- Harshal Patel, Worst Player- Wanindu Hasaranga

The Royal Challengers Bangalore have made it to the playoffs this time. KS Bharat, Glenn Maxwell and Harshal Patel performed well. As a result, the fans are happy, and winning the title this time will be like a cherry on the cake. 

Their most valuable player has been Harshal Patel. In 14 games, he has picked 30 wickets with an economy rate of 8.40. As he picks wickets at a regular rate, the economy rate does not matter. This IPL, he has picked a five-wicket haul and a hattrick too. 

Wanindu Hasaranga is Sri Lanka’s most valuable player. But, this time, he played just 2 IPL games for RCB. With an economy rate of 10 and the highest score of 1, he failed to deliver. Well, he might improve in the IPL next year as RCB has found its perfect playing XI. 

MI: Best Player- Saurabh Tiwary, Worst Player- Hardik Pandya

Mumbai Indians were knocked out of the fourteenth edition of the IPL after they defeated SRH in the last league game. The most iconic IPL team will now undergo mega auctions for the next edition. However, they dominated the 2010s and will go down as the best T20 team in history. 

In a season where everyone failed when it mattered, Saurabh Tiwary performed when he got the chance to do so. In just 5 games, he scored 115 valuable runs. He saved Mumbai multiple times, and an average of 57.50 showcases that. 

This year, their worst player has to be Hardik Pandya. The all-rounder played 12 games and scored just 127 runs at an average of 14.11. Even when he has promoted up the order, he failed. The worst part of his story in this year’s IPL has been his bowling. Being an allrounder means one has to be ready to bowl whenever required. But since the last two seasons, he has not bowled a single ball. Hence, he became a liability for MI this season. 

KKR: Best Player- Venkatesh Iyer, Worst Player- Eoin Morgan

Kolkata Knight Riders have been the most dominant team in the second leg of the IPL. They have been ruthless when it came to batting. As a result, even when Dre Russ and Captain Morgan failed, they managed to claim the fourth spot during the league stage.

Their most valuable player has been Venkatesh Iyer. The stylish left-handed batsman has scored 239 runs with a strike rate of 129.18. Adding on, he has given them excellent starts and has scored against tough opponents. 

But, their weak link in the league stage has been Eoin Morgan. With the highest score of 47 this year, he has been unable to support his batsmen. A strike rate of 102.47 shows that he has been out of touch. But, maybe, his best is yet to come in the playoffs. 

CSK: Best Player- Ruturaj Gaikwad, Worst Player- MS Dhoni

The Chennai Super Kings had an excellent IPL league stage this year. Apart from the last three games, they were dominant and spot on. As a result of which, they finished second in the points table. 

Their best player has been Ruturaj Gaikwad. Ruturaj Gaikwad had a horrible start to his IPL career. Multiple failures meant that he had to warm the benches. But since then, he has scored 737 runs with an average of 46.06. He scored an excellent century against the Royals as well. 

However, their worst performer has been their most successful player over the years. There is no doubt that MS Dhoni is towards end of his career. In 14 games, he has scored just 96 runs with a strike rate of 95.04. The fans will be praying that he finds his form in the playoffs.