The <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Premier League</a> has been suspended by the BCCI. As the COVID crisis chokes the nation, this move was always on the cards. The players and staff were being tested positive and BCCI has done a good job by suspending the tournament midway. Unfortunately, the fans will have to wait to see their favorite players on the field.

Although the fans will no longer be able to sit down and watch franchises go head to head against each other, they can look forward to witnessing the action of the World Test Championship and the T20 World Cup. Many players were able to impress the fans and the selectors. Without any doubt, they have a big chance of making it to their respective national squad.

But, few players have missed out on performing for the squad on numerous occasions. Their failures affected their team’s chances. This might hamper their chance to get a national squad call-up. Hopefully, they will be able to make a comeback wherever IPL resumes. Here is a list of &#8211;

Flopped XI from the first half of IPL 2021

1. David Warner

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-505739" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/David-Warner-1.jpg" alt="David Warner" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-505739" class="wp-caption-text">David Warner. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-david-warner-spends-his-time-in-hotel-room-watching-butta-bomma-music-video/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Warner </a>has been one of the most destructive batsmen across all formats. Whenever one talks about the Sunrisers, Warner is the first player who comes to the minds of the Orange Army fans. He has been the backbone of the team for more than five seasons. He was the skipper of the squad when they managed to defeat RCB in the finals of the 2016 season.

Since 2014, Warner has managed to score more than 500 runs every season. With the bat, he was the player who could take the game away from the opposition because of his attacking approach to the game. Last year too, he managed to score 548 runs with a strike rate of 134.68. But, this year, he failed both as a batsman and a skipper.

The Sunrisers managed to win just a single game out of seven. Talking about Warner’s batting, he has managed to score 193 runs from six innings. A strike rate of 110.28 is unacceptable in a tournament like the IPL. When Warner was dropped from the playing eleven, everyone was shocked. Well, unfortunately, he makes it to this squad.

2. Shubman Gill

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-338602" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Shubman-Gill.jpg" alt="Shubman Gill" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-338602" class="wp-caption-text">Shubman Gill. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Shubman Gill has been with KKR since 2018, as he made progress with the bat, he was included in the core leadership group last year. During India’s tour to<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/australian-players-can-travel-to-maldives-or-sri-lanka-after-the-suspension-of-ipl-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Australia</a>, he made some useful contributions with the bat. He scored a brilliant 91 during the final Test at the Gabba to set up a perfect platform for the middle order.

But, since then, Gill has been out of form. He gave a flop show during the home series against England and in the current season, he failed too. In 7 games, Gill score 132 runs with a poor average of 18.25. If we consider the strike rate, it makes Gill look like a stat padder.

A strike rate of 117.25 in seven games while the opening is a bad record. KKR is a dangerous team if they get perfect starts. But, after they demoted Sunil Narine, things went haywire. Maybe, when IPL resumes, Gill will find his touch and KKR will improve their record during the latter half of the tournament.

3. Nicholas Pooran

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-508266" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Nicholas-Pooran.jpg" alt="Nicholas Pooran" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-508266" class="wp-caption-text">Nicholas Pooran. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Nicholas Pooran became a popular name when Punjab Kings signed him up for INR 4.2 crore. He became a regular member of the Punjab squad under the captaincy of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-kl-rahuls-father-gets-a-bizarre-mail-from-one-of-his-students/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">K.L. Rahul</a>. Currently, he is one of the most explosive batsmen in the circuit. But this time, he was very unfortunate to get out on ducks three times during the first half of the season.

Pooran was impressive during the thirteenth season of the tournament. In 14 games, he scored 353 runs with a strike rate of 169.71. But, this time, the story was completely different. In 7 games, Pooran managed to score 28 runs with an average of 4.66.

A strike rate of 84.84 and three ducks makes it worse for the West Indian. But, with an IPL career strike rate of 157.75 and an average of 24.95, he can turn it around during the second half of the tournament. But, during the last league game of the Kings, Dawid Malan was included in the squad. If he performs consistently, Pooran might warm the benches.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-509231" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Ishan-Kishan.jpg" alt="Ishan Kishan" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-509231" class="wp-caption-text">Ishan Kishan. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

Ishan Kishan was the top run-scorer for Mumbai Indias last year. He managed to score 516 runs at an average of 57.33. The main factor that made his batting attractive is his “attacking” approach. He was fearless and managed to score at a strike rate of 145.76 during the season in 2020.

To be fair, Mumbai Indians were struggling this season. The main reason was- their Indian players at the middle order were unable to attack the opposition. Well, they did it against <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-5-players-who-were-underutilized-by-csk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CSK</a>, but mostly it was all about poor timings and inability to find the gaps. Well, Ishan was out of form during the 5 games he played.

Ishan scored 73 runs with a strike rate of 82.95. During the 5 games, he averaged 14.60, and this added to the pressure on the middle order. But, he can tear apart any bowling lineup in the coming years. But, unfortunately, he makes it to this squad of flop performers of the season so far.

5. Eoin Morgan (captain)

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-508430" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Eoin-Morgan.jpg" alt="Eoin Morgan" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-508430" class="wp-caption-text">Eoin Morgan. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Eoin Morgan’s World Cup triumph has been an inspirational story. He managed to build an English limited-overs squad that has been dominating the circuit. But, in IPL, he has been unable to change the fortunes of KKR. A team that won two IPL trophies in three years is struggling to make it to the playoffs.

Last year, he took over the captaincy duties from Dinesh Karthik mid-season in 2020. However, it was too late for the World Cup-winning captain to revive <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/kkr-kolkata-knight-riders/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KKR</a> during that season. But, this year, his teammates have failed him so far. Adding on, 92 runs from 7 innings is a poor performance from a captain and overseas player.

Morgan averaged 15.33 this season with a strike rate of 112.19. Adding on, he captained poorly too. For example, he opened the bowling with Shivam Mavi instead of Pat Cummins against KKR. As a result of which, Shaw smashed him for 25 runs in the first over itself. Well, Captain Morgan has to pull up his socks to ensure that KKR gets into the playoffs.

6. Hardik Pandya

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-507411" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Hardik-Pandya.jpg" alt="Hardik Pandya IPL" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-507411" class="wp-caption-text">Hardik Pandya. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

Hardik Pandya is an inspiration for every middle-class kid who wishes to make it to the playing eleven from 136.64 crore people. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/pandya-brothers-and-family-donate-200-oxygen-concentrators-to-rural-parts-of-india/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pandya</a> has been successful in turning his dream into reality. The major credit for this goes to the IPL. Pandya has so much trust in himself that he manages to stay calm even after playing match-winning knocks.

Pandya has a strike rate of 157.23 in his IPL career. Over the years, he has been MI’s backbone. He could bowl in four overs and he could accelerate at the back end of the innings. Last year, he had a humongous strike rate of 178.98. Well, no one could stop him.

But, this year, he has scored 52 runs from 7 games. With a strike rate of 118.18, he has been a let down for MI. However, he scored 16 vital runs for MI during a huge chase against CSK. But, everyone expects more from him, so he gets into this list as the first all-rounder.

7. Shivam Dube

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-507573" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Shivam-Dube.jpg" alt="Shivam Dube" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-507573" class="wp-caption-text">Shivam Dube. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

Shivam Dube made headlines when he smashed five sixes in five balls on the final day of a Ranji Trophy game. Well, luckily for Dube, the 2019 IPL auction was around the corner and he was picked up by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for a huge amount of INR 5 crore. He played at the middle order, but regular changes to the lineup meant that he never settled as a batsman. Talking about his bowling, he got the chance to bowl only when one of the premier bowlers was out of form.

During his <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/rcb-royal-challengers-bangalore/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RCB </a>days, he was an underperformer. In the 2019 season, he scored only 40 runs in 4 games. Last year, he managed to score 145 runs in 6 games. Well, RCB management released him just before the 2021 auction. Till now, it has been a good move.

Dube was signed by the Rajasthan Royals during the 2021 auctions. Till the end (when suspended), he performed poorly. Technically, there are flaws in his batting( related to footwork) and he bowled only three overs in six games. Unfortunately, his inclusion brings imbalance to the Rajasthan side.

8. Shardul Thakur

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-246214" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Shardul-Thakur.jpg" alt="Shardul Thakur" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-246214" class="wp-caption-text">Shardul Thakur. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Shardul Thakur was a member of the inexperienced Indian team that managed to defeat the Aussies on their home soil. He is a handy batsman who can hit some blows down the order. Adding on, he can pick wickets during desperate situations when required. This makes him an important member of the national team and the CSK squad.

Thakur’s main job is to cover the middle overs and bowl during the death overs. This does bring some justification to his expensive economy rate. But, he has been the star performer during critical stages of the game. In his IPL career, Thakur has an economy rate of 9.13.

This season, Thakur has been a disappointment for the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/csk-chennai-super-kings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CSK </a>fans. In seven games, he has picked only 5 wickets. Adding on, his best bowling figures are 2/52, which is not acceptable by any means. Talking about his economy rate, he has been bowling at 10.33 runs per over. Therefore, he is a deserving entrant to this squad.

9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-508275" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Bhuvneshwar-Kumar.jpg" alt="Bhuvneshwar Kumar" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-508275" class="wp-caption-text">Bhuvneshwar Kumar. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been the leader of the Sunrisers pace attack over the years. He has been a difficult bowler to face on most occasions. A wicket tally of 139 wickets speaks volumes about his abilities. Kumar has a bowling economy rate of 7.31 in his career, well, he is one of the legends of this tournament.

But, this time, Kumar has been unable to find any form. He was the player of the month in March. However, a wicket tally of 3 in five games is not satisfactory. Adding on, he has an economy rate of 9.10, which is on the expensive side.

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/srh-sunrisers-hyderabad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SRH’s</a> strength is its bowling unit. But, as Kumar failed, they had to look for other options in the form of Kaul and Ahmed. David Warner has been unlucky because the backup bowlers failed too. The result of this poor performance is the eighth spot of SRH on the points table with a net run rate of -0.623.

10. Yuzvendra Chahal

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-335401" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Yuzvendra-Chahal-1.jpg" alt="Yuzvendra Chahal" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-335401" class="wp-caption-text">Yuzvendra Chahal. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption>

Yuzvendra Chahal is India’s first-choice spinner in the limited-overs formats. During the initial days of his career, he became the first bowler from the nation to pick up a five-wicket haul in <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/kevin-pietersen-wants-the-icc-to-introduce-a-12-run-rule-in-t20i-cricket/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">T20Is</a>. He is RCB’s leading wicket-taker and Virat Kohli’s go-to man during desperate situations. But this time, Chahal has been out of form.

Chahal has picked 125 wickets in 106 games. Last year, he picked 21 wickets in 15 games. He managed to choke the batsmen and an economy rate of 7.08 is big proof. But, in 2021, he has been unable to pick wickets at regular intervals. Adding on, he has a mediocre economy rate of 8.26 during the first half of the season.

His best bowling figure in this season is 2/34. This means he has picked 2 wickets in six games. Well, this is a bad performance from the veteran. As leg-spinners are included in the squad as they can pick wickets regularly, Chahal has to step up whenever the tournament resumes.

11. Jhye Richardson

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-504747" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Jhye-Richardson.jpg" alt="Jhye Richardson" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-504747" class="wp-caption-text">Jhye Richardson. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

We all have heard stories about talented players underperforming because of the heavy price tag in the IPL. Well, Jhye Richardson is the newest addition to this list. Maybe, people should not judge him as he has played only three games. But, in a competitive tournament like IPL, many talented players are warming the benches. Therefore, the playing XI should perform exceedingly well.

Richardson was acquired by the Punjab Kings for INR 14 crores. As he can generate pace, he is an asset to a squad. Well, 3 wickets for 117 runs in 3 games is a poor performance. But, his slower balls are more effective than other bowlers.

Hopefully, he will find his mojo back as K.L. Rahul needs his fast bowlers to step up. If Richardson fails, there is too much on the plate for Arshdeep and Shami. During the first half of the<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-5-players-who-couldnt-justify-their-auction-price-tags-in-the-tournament/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> IPL,</a> Richardson was bowling with an economy rate of 10.63. This makes him a member of this flop XI.

Players who couldn't play their parts well in the first half of IPL 2021.

The flopped XI of IPL 2021 during the first half of the tournament

The IPL 2021 has been called off for indefinite period but we saw many big names underperforming in the first half of the tournament.