West Indians and their decimation in the IPL

The IPL ever since its inception in the year 2008 has been the second home for the players from West Indies. Several Caribbean players have made their mark over the years. The country that has dominated the most after India in the league is West Indies. When the shortest format of the game came to the fore, it was believed to be tailor-made for the power-hitters and where else would one find big hitters other than West Indies. Their style of playing suited the T20 format and hence they became a big hit in the IPL.

Every year, almost each team has had one or two players that have played pivotal roles for them. Whether it is bowling, batting or fielding, those players are experts in all the departments. The likes of Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Sunil Narine have been the major crowd pullers due to their impact in the league. They receive more love and attention from the Indian fans than the ones from their own country and they didn’t fail to deliver the goods more often than not.

But the 10th edition of the IPL didn’t turn out to be the best for the West Indian players. They were nowhere close to their usual best and it just wasn’t the season that belonged to them. The league stage of IPL is done and dusted and if we recall the good performances of those players, only Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard come to mind. Rest others failed to make an impact and the list includes several big names.

Gayle’s dismal show

The biggest name in IPL from West Indies over the years has been Chris Gayle. The leading run-getter in T20s, the destroyer of bowling line-ups, the giant with the bat, there are numerous superlatives that have been used to describe him. On his day, he has caused massive destructions and literally tore apart the oppositions with his monstrous sixes. He holds the record for the fastest century in the IPL off 30 balls which is only one of the many that he possesses.

But this year, he simply could not match the standards he set for himself in the past. With just 200 runs in 9 matches at 22.22, he was one of the reasons of failure for Royal Challengers Bangalore. He could score just 1 half-century, and batted at a strike rate of 122.7 which is not what we are used to seeing from the Jamaican. The age of 37 could be wearing him out and there are uncertainties whether we would see the best of him again or not.

Bravo and Russell missed out

Two other giants of IPL were absent this time – Dwayne Bravo and Andre Russell. Bravo has been one of the best all-rounders in the history of the tournament. In 106 IPL matches, he has accounted for 122 wickets and amassed 1262 runs. He was one of the key members for Chennai Super Kings and then played an instrumental role in the success of Gujarat Lions last year. His absence hurt the Suresh Raina-led side badly and they finished second from the bottom on the points table.

Russell, on the other hand, missed out on the league due to a ban imposed on him and Kolkata Knight Riders had to spend big to purchase Chris Woakes from the auction to fill in for him. KKR did well enough in the tournament but Russell’s absence was duly felt. None of the all-rounders from KKR could match what he used to do.

Dwayne Smith failed too

Another West Indian who had an indifferent season was Dwayne Smith. He could manage just 239 runs in 12 games and just got the 2 half-centuries. He once used to be a match-winner for Mumbai Indians and then for Chennai Super Kings. His poor show didn’t help the cause of the franchise either. Lendl Simmons was kept out of the Mumbai Indians side for a long time and only featured in the latter stages of the league. Darren Sammy didn’t play a single game for Kings XI Punjab and Carlos Brathwaite mostly warmed the benches of Delhi Daredevils.

Most of the players couldn’t produce the magic they have been known for. Although there was one came up with a surprise this year. Sunil Narine was mostly known for his mysterious spin bowling but this year, his roles were reversed and he was asked to open the innings for KKR. He went after the bowling from the first ball and produced quickfire cameos that helped the team chase down big totals with ease. He also went on to score the fastest fifty of IPL off just 15 balls. Though when it comes to bowling, he has only 10 wickets to his name in 14 matches.

The Indian fans love watching the West Indian players but they weren’t treated to the same flamboyance this season. The level of IPL gets raised by notches when the Caribbean players hit their stripes. This season is almost over and only Simmons will be in action for the playoffs. Let’s just hope that 2018 will be the year when we will witness the West Indian players lighting up the IPL once again.