IPL 2022: Flop XI from third week of the season

For several big names, their performances in the third week of IPL 2022 have been a hit-and-miss kind of scenario. The woes have continued for some world-class players, whereas, a few players have seen a steep decline in form in the third week of the tournament. The two-month-long tournament has entered its most important stage, and the margin of error keeps reducing with every progressing week. Problems continue to mount in the Mumbai Indians camp, as the five-time champions have now lost five back-to-back games. Their star players have underperformed in the opening stages of the tournament, and it is high time they start turning up for the big occasions. Chennai Super Kings finally found a glimmer of hope, after they ended their four-match losing streak, with a convincing victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore. A franchise’s success is largely dependent on the performance of its key players, around which the team is built. In this article, we look at the- Flop XI from the third week of IPL 2022 1) Ruturaj Gaikwad Ruturaj Gaikwad. (Photo Source: Twitter) Ruturaj Gaikwad continues to underperform with the bat for Chennai Super Kings. Having won the Orange Cap last season, the right-handed batter was retained by the ‘Men in Yellow,’ ahead of Faf du Plessis. In his two outings in the previous week, Gaikwad managed to score a total of just 33 runs. In five outings so far, the opener has scored 35 runs at a dismal average of 6.80. He finally managed to enter a double-digit score against Sunrisers Hyderabad and was looking confident out in the middle. However, he was knocked over by T. Natarajan for a brief cameo of 16 runs off 13 balls. Against Royal Challengers Bangalore, it was a similar story, as he was dismissed for just 17 runs, after getting off to a decent start. It seems that the Indian batter is being cautious out in the middle, and is unable to express himself freely. If Chennai Super Kings are to make a comeback in the second half of the season, they will desperately need their star opener back among the runs on a consistent basis. 2) Faf du Plessis Faf du Plessis. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) It is not often that Faf du Plessis disappoints for two successive matches in the IPL. However, this has been the case in the previous week. The Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper looked very rusty out there in the middle against Mumbai Indians, scoring 16 runs off 24 balls. Things did not look good against his former side, Chennai Super Kings either, as the Protea batter was dismissed for eight runs. Faf du Plessis has managed to score just one half-century in five innings so far this season. One can assume that the captaincy duties are taking a toll on him. However, Du Plessis has been in that situation more often than not, particularly representing his national side. fans expect the South African batter to get himself back among the runs in the coming week, which could help Royal Challengers Bangalore make a strong claim for the playoff berths. 3) Matthew Wade Matthew Wade. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Gujarat Titans are sitting pretty at the top of the table, with four wins from their five outings so far. The Titans are looking like a very balanced side, however, their top-order batting still remains a grey area. Australian wicketkeeper batter, Matthew Wade has continued with his underwhelming performances in the third week of IPL, and Gujarat might finally consider dropping him to the bench. In his two outings last week, Wade managed to collect just 31 runs as he continues to struggle out in the middle. The Australian has also had his fair share of bad luck, after an unlucky dismissal against Rajasthan Royals. Wade seemed to be looking comfortable out in the middle, smashing three boundaries, before he ran himself out. There are still a lot of loopholes in the Gujarat Titans’ batting lineup, with several question marks over the number three spot. The table-toppers will certainly expect more consistency from Wade’s willow if they do decide to give him another shot. 4) Sanju Samson Sanju Samson. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Sanju Samson and a dip in performance after the initial few matches is a tale fans are all used to hearing. The Rajasthan Royals skipper now has three consecutive failed outings with the bat, something which is costing his side dearly. In the last week, Samson managed to score just 24 runs in two outings, although, one dismissal was by virtue of a run-out. Sanju Samson was sent back to the pavilion for just 13 runs against Lucknow Super Giants, in what can be described as pretty ordinary bowling from Jason Holder. The Royals’ top order is heavily reliant on Jos Buttler at the moment, as he has done the bulk of the scoring for his side. Rajasthan have taken two losses from their last three games, after a near-perfect start to their campaign. This season presents the perfect opportunity for Samson to step up with consistent performances with the bat if he is to make a claim for a spot in the Indian squad. 5) Rassie van der Dussen Rassie van der Dussen (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Rassie van der Dussen was given an opportunity to show his batting prowess last week. The Rajasthan Royals batter failed to put up a meaningful display, as he was dismissed for single-digit scores on both occasions. Against Lucknow Super Giants, he was knocked over by Krishnappa Gowtham for just four runs. The South African batter had a good opportunity to cement his place in the playing 11, given that he walked into bat during a tricky situation. Even against the Gujarat Titans, Rassie van der Dussen was dismissed for just six runs. It remains to be seen if the Protea batter will be given another chance in the playing 11. Daryl Mitchell is someone who could be handed his IPL debut in the next fixture, opening the batting alongside Jos Buttler, with Devdutt Padikkal dropping to the number three position, once again. 6) Kieron Pollard Kieron Pollard. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Kieron Pollard is undoubtedly one of the biggest names when it comes to IPL Cricket. The West Indian limited-overs skipper has been a part of five-title winning sides with the Mumbai Indians. Kieron Pollard often starts hitting top form midway through the IPL, and this season could be no different. Pollard has continued to underperform with the bat, which has been costing his side dearly this season. Against Royal Challengers Bangalore, the West Indian walked out into the middle with the score reading 62 runs for the loss of four wickets. Mumbai Indians were in dire need of big innings from their star player, however, he was dismissed off the first delivery by Wanindu Hasaranga. Against Punjab Kings, Pollard could have finished off the game for his side, if not for a mix-up with Suryakumar Yadav. With Mumbai Indians losing all five of their opening matches, it will take an inspired effort from the likes of Kieron Pollard, if the five-time champions are to reach the playoffs. 7) Ravichandran Ashwin Ravichandran Ashwin. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Ravichandran Ashwin has looked like a pale shadow of himself in the current edition of the IPL. Although the Indian spinner has been economical with the ball, he has failed to pick up wickets for his side. He bowled an economical spell against Lucknow Super Giants, conceding just 20 runs in four overs. However, Ashwin has failed to entice the batters to take risks which will aid him in taking more wickets. The former Chennai Super Kings player failed to pick up a wicket against Gujarat Titans either, conceding 33 runs in his four-over spell. After scoring an unbeaten (retired out) knock of 28 runs against Lucknow, Ashwin failed to deliver with the bat against the Titans. Being promoted at the top of the order, the veteran spinner walked into bat at number three. All he could manage was to score eight runs at a strike rate of 100. In all, it was a pretty average week for the experienced campaigner. 8) Pat Cummins Pat Cummins. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) After his heroics against Mumbai Indians, Pat Cummins has had a few pretty ordinary outings. The Australian red-ball skipper got a taste of his own medicine, as he was taken to the cleaners by the Delhi batters. Cummins conceded 51 runs in his four-over spell against the Capitals, without picking up a single wicket. This time, he failed to replicate his magic with the bat, being dismissed for just four runs. Things did not go according to plan against Sunrisers Hyderabad, as well. With the bat, he was sent back to the pavilion for just three runs, and he conceded 40 runs in just about four overs. All he managed was an early wicket of Abhishek Sharma, but he was taken to the cleaners by Aiden Markram in the latter stages of the innings. Cummins has not been at his best with the ball so far, and with Kolkata facing two consecutive defeats, they will need more consistency from their star pacer. 9) Jasprit Bumrah Jasprit Bumrah. (Photo Source: Twitter/Indian Premier League) The situation at Mumbai Indians has gone from bad to worse in the previous week. There is no hope in sight for the five-time champions, given how poorly their senior players have performed so far. Jasprit Bumrah has failed to live up to his standards in IPL 2022 so far, failing to pick up wickets on a regular basis and being expensive with the ball on several occasions. Bumrah conceded 31 runs in his four-over spell against Royal Challengers Bangalore, failing to pick up even a wicket. Against Punjab Kings, the 28-year-old pacer did manage to put on a better display, conceding 28 runs in four overs, which includes the crucial wicket of Liam Livingstone. However, the Indian speedster has rarely looked threatening this season and has often missed his lengths at crucial junctures of the game. Mumbai Indians have a very inexperienced bowling lineup, and they will demand more from their lead pacer if they are to stage a comeback in the second half of the season. 10) Mohammed Shami Mohammed Shami. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Mohammed Shami had a rather off-week with the ball in hand, as he conceded almost nine runs on an average per over, and managed to pick up just one wicket. Against Sunrisers Hyderabad, the Indian pacer went wicketless, conceding 32 runs in his quota of overs. He had another ordinary outing against the Rajasthan Royals, where he conceded 39 runs in four overs, but this time Shami did manage to pick up the crucial wicket of Shimron Hetymer. Shami has been one of the most consistent performers in the Indian Premier League, over the years. In five outings so far, he has already managed to pick up seven wickets at an average of 23.14. IPL is an unrelenting and challenging league, and players are bound to face roadblocks on their way. It remains to be seen as to how Mohammed Shami returns from a recent slump in form in the upcoming week. 11) Mohammed Siraj Mohammed Siraj. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Mohammed Siraj completes the Indian pace bowling troika in this Flop XI from the third week of the tournament. The 28-year-old pacer conceded 51 runs at an economy rate of almost 13, against the Mumbai Indians last week. The Royal Challengers Bangalore pacer has struggled to justify his retention this season and is unable to pick up early wickets for his side. Mohammed Siraj again went wicketless in the second game of the week against Chennai Super Kings, where he conceded 37 runs in four overs. The Bangalore pace bowling lineup has a few loopholes, with Akash Deep’s inexperience being exploited by the Chennai Super Kings in the previous game. In this scenario, it is vital for a seasoned campaigner like Siraj to take responsibility for himself and come up with the goods, more often than not.

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IPL 2022: Flop XI from third week of the season

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5) Rassie van der Dussen

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