IPL: Most underutilised XI in the history of the tournament

With the Indian Premier League being the world’s biggest T20 tournament, the supply of players has always been overwhelming which in many ways has also resulted in excessive stacking of players by the IPL franchises. While this excessive stacking arrangement might become a paramount yield in case of the events of injuries or withdrawals, most times it mainly causes underutilization of the available talent. Often in the IPL, the teams which are well stacked with the presence of elites do face this problem of underuse, especially, when it’s about their healthy overseas contingent. Overall, even the envoys of the T20 format have been found as underutilized by the IPL franchises thus eventually making it an obnoxious feature of the league. Hence, by exploring IPL’s long haul history, here’s our most underutilized XI of the league 1. Ajinkya Rahane (MI) Mohali: Rajasthan Royals’ Ajinkya Rahane. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS) Being the local boy for MI, Ajinkya Rahane had initially started his IPL career with his home franchise and was part of the setup till IPL 2009. At that time, Rahane was vigorously seen climbing up the ladder in the domestic circuit and had eventually found a place in MI’s squad for the inaugural season. However, despite the team getting plagued with injuries, Rahane could only fetch two games for himself without making any mark. Nevertheless, because of his good technique, Rahane was then again brought back for 8 games in IPL 2009 but the rookie could only amass 144 runs at an average of 24. The IPL 2010 season then brought the unleashing of Ambati Rayudu in MI camp which eventually wobbled out Ajinkya Rahane from the team. However, his lofty pile of runs in domestic cricket had always allured other franchises thereby making Rajasthan Royals bag him in IPL 2011. Overall, with RR casting him in the top-order, Rahane’s stint with the franchise turned out to be the glory years of his IPL career something which MI had missed. All in all, by merely making him juggle with his batting position, the MI team had not only underutilized Ajinkya Rahane but also lost him at a time when he was in the national team’s reckoning as well. 2. KL Rahul (RCB) KL Rahul. (Photo Source: Twitter) KL Rahul’s termination from the RCB was a disheartening event for every RCB fan as in the 2016 season he was highly impressive for the franchise. Regardless of his juggle in the RCB’s exuberant batting order, Rahul had amassed a total of 397 runs at an average of 44. Although an injury in the 2017 season had entirely omitted him to play for the red army, a buyback was surely expected from RCB in the 2018 mega auction. In the end, the PBKS team had jubilantly bagged him for INR 11 crores and is now the current skipper and the highest run-scorer of the team. All in all, the RCB franchise had lost KL Rahul at a time when he was not only team India’s established opener in almost every format, but also a pure T20 specialist who could aggressively pile some consistent runs at the top. At present, he is one of the premier batters of the IPL and might be in for a long overhaul on the PBKS side. 3. Suryakumar Yadav (KKR) Suryakumar Yadav. (Photo Source: Twitter) It was in IPL 2014 when KKR had bagged Suryakumar Yadav for INR 70 lacs and was specifically chosen to perform lower-order duties. Instantly in his debut season for KKR, Suryakumar played 16 matches and scored 164 runs at an average of 32.80, along with a strike rate of 140. Again in the subsequent two seasons, he continued serving KKR mainly as a lower-order batter or as a floater, but neither any towering score nor a lofty strike rate was attained by him. Overall in his entire stint with KKR, Suryakumar could only fetch a single fifty from his total of 54 matches which eventually made him again go back to his former franchise MI. Now although Suryakumar Yadav does has very attacking gameplay, the lower-order batting never came naturally to him. Also, his constant shuffling in the batting order never brought any stability in his batting and with the MI team now continuing to foster him with his favourite number, surely the KKR team could have used his special talent in a much better way. 4. Glenn Maxwell (MI) Glenn Maxwell. (Photo Source: Twitter) Glenn Maxwell, who was bought by the MI franchise at USD 1 million in the 2013 auction was never entirely utilized by the management in that season. His explosive batting was barely used in three games, as the MI team in that season had a very settled squad under the new captaincy of Rohit Sharma. Also, with the likes of Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Smith, Lasith Malinga and Mitchell Johnson being the premier overseas players for MI, the Australian rookie was expected to have a prolonged bench-warming experience in that season. However, the management probably made a dreadful blunder of not bagging him in the 2014 auction, as for KXIP, Maxwell had gone bonkers with his batting. Not only he was dismantling bowling attacks with ease but also won an MVP award for Punjab in that season. 5. AB de Villiers (c & wk) (DD) AB de Villiers. (Photo Source: Twitter) AB de Villiers, who is perhaps the best batsman of the RCB franchise to date, had initially begun his IPL career with the Delhi franchise. Since the Delhi franchise, in its inaugural season, had a commendable pool of overseas players, de Villiers had only featured in a total of six IPL games where he hardly showed his magic. However, in the next season, ABD became the established member of the team and in his 15 games, he amassed a pyramid of 465 runs at an average of 51.66. But his bleak form in the 2010 season eventually made him lose his place to England’s Paul Collingwood. After all, his midseason exclusion and later on his overall exclusion from the DD team in IPL 2011, turned to be an extremely obnoxious event for the franchise, especially when he started playing some utterly remarkable knocks for RCB. Overall, the turn of events in the midseason of IPL 2010 might have prompted DD to lose him but apparently, they did go on to lose one of the best batsmen of the current era. 6. Andre Russell (DD) Andre Russell. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Andre Russell, who is KKR’s biggest match-winner at present, had initially started his IPL career with the DD franchise. The West Indian cricketer at that time was mainly known for his bustling pace bowling and had in between showed some glimpses of his ferocious batting. The DD team had eventually brought him at a price tag of INR 2.26 crores in IPL 2012 but hardly had featured him in four games. Similarly in the subsequent season, Russell again played mere 3 games for DD where he scarcely could not produce anything with his both skills. However, despite the franchise undergoing a poor run in the 2013 season, Russell was still highly underutilized especially with his bowling than his batting. Nevertheless, in IPL 2014, the DD franchise finally took an exit from Andre Russell’s all-around services thus perfectly allowing KKR to bag their most adorable overseas cricketer to date. 7. Axar Patel (MI) Axar Patel. (Photo Source: IANS) Although Axar Patel did play his first IPL game by donning the KXIP jersey, the rookie was found to be in MI’s IPL winning squad in the 2013 season. Axar was bought by the MI team at a price tag of INR 10 lakhs with barely anyone knowing about his overall proposition. With his left-arm orthodox spin bowling also facing a clash with the senior Pragyan Ojha in the 2013 season, Axar Patel not even had the narrowest of a chance to get casted then. Further, Ojha perhaps had one of its best IPL seasons, as the spinner had in total bagged 16 wickets for MI. However, later on, when the KXIP team had unleashed Axar Patel in the 2014 season, the left-arm spinner had bagged 17 wickets in his debut IPL. Definitely, after viewing Axar’s sturdy performances the MI team could have felt the grim regarding his utilization. 8. Yuzvendra Chahal (MI) Yuzvendra Chahal mumbai indians. (Photo Source: Twitter) Yuzvendra Chahal, whose entire IPL career has mainly been associated with the RCB team, had actually begun his IPL journey with the MI franchise. The leg-spinner was initially purchased by the Mumbai team in the IPL 2011 auction at a price tag of INR 10 lakhs. However, it was only in the 2013 season when Chahal got his maiden IPL game in which, he disappointingly leaked over 30 runs in his spell. Also, perhaps because of the MI team already playing with his two high-class spinners (Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha) getting featured regularly was meant to be elusive. But Chahal, even, later on, had played a reasonable role in making MI win the CLT20. Nevertheless, we all know now how Chahal has now become a vital cog of the RCB team and he surely is one of India’s premier spinner in white-ball cricket. All in all, probably not bagging him back in IPL 2014 would have made MI miss a long term trick. 9. Jaydev Unadkat (KKR) Jaydev Unadkat. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Not long ago when Jaydev Unadkat’s left-arm proposition was reasonably available at the auction, the KKR team had heartily picked him for INR 1.06 crores in IPL 2016. But in terms of his casting in that season, Unadkat hardly fetched a single game, even in which he was completely whacked at an economy of 16. Now although the pacer perhaps had endured his worst possible start, the KKR management immediately decided to dump him in the 2017 auction eventually paving his way into the Pune franchise. The RPS team in the 2017 season bagged Unadkat at a mere price of INR 30 lakhs and also infused him for 12 matches. In return Unadkat’s left-arm bowling actually turned to be a revelation for the Pune franchise, as the speedster scalped 24 wickets at an impressive economy of around 7. Not only his single-season stint with the RPS team brought a revive in his IPL career, but also rose his impeccable demand in the IPL auctions. However, Unadkat’s resolute comeback for RPS surely would have pinched KKR regarding his underutilization. 10. Trent Boult (DC) Trent Boult. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS) In the 2018 IPL season for Delhi Capitals, Trent Boult’s left-arm proposition turned to be a masterstroke, as the speedster had vigorously scalped 18 wickets from his 14 games. However, in the 2019 season, Boult was merely played in 5 games wherein he came out reasonable with his performances. Now despite Boult’s constant returns for the Delhi team, the franchise decided to trade the speedster with the MI team which eventually now has taken his IPL career to new heights. In the 2020 season for MI, Boult’s left-arm bowling became an immediate hit as a profusion of 25 wickets were scalped from his bowling. Eventually, both MI and the Delhi franchise are well known for their two overseas pacer strategy but Trent Boult’s invigorating form in 2020 surely would have dazzled the Delhi team regarding their handling with the speedster. 11. Ashish Nehra (DD) Ashish Nehra. (Photo Source: Twitter) Just before Ashish Nehra had revived his IPL career with the CSK franchise, it was the DD team that had procured him in the 2013 season. While playing for DD in that season, Nehra had fetched 11 wickets from 10 games which by any means weren’t disappointing. But in the mega auction of 2014, Nehra was eventually discarded from the franchise which later allowed him to enjoy his best IPL days with the CSK team. Later on, in the subsequent seasons for CSK, Nehra had scalped 30 wickets from his 20 games perhaps also transforming himself as the premier pacer of the yellow army. Now surely, again the Delhi franchise had cut lost a valuable proposition available to them easily and perhaps would have felt a significant grim regarding Nehra’s resurgence.

IPL: Most underutilised XI in the history of the tournament

These players have gone on to shine for other teams.

8. Yuzvendra Chahal (MI)