IPL 2020: Worst performers this season for each team


IPL 2020: Worst performers this season for each team

The Indian Premier League 2020 has concluded after 60 matches and more than one and a half months of grueling cricket action. Following Mumbai Indians’ (MI) title triumph, it is time to look back at the season and the various players who shone and flattered to deceive.

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This year was one of the most, if not the most competitive seasons in IPL history. The point difference between the sides at the end of the league stages was proof of how closely contested the season was. There were plenty of positives for teams to take into the next season thanks to consistent performances from some players. But there were also some players who had a torrid time in the IPL. We choose 8 players (1 from each franchise) who were the worst performers for their respective teams.

Mumbai Indians – Krunal Pandya

Mumbai Indians’ (MI) title triumph was one that showcased team spirit and balance at its finest. Each player knew their role perfectly and performed it with élan. MI looked invincible throughout the season and rightfully won the title. There really was no player who can be considered to have had a difficult time. But if one has to choose, it will have to be Krunal Pandya.

The all-rounder seldom got chances to bat and in the few chances he got, he couldn’t deliver (except in one match when he got 20 off just 4 balls). With the ball, Krunal could not pick up a lot of wickets but kept it tight with his defensive bowling. Due to his not-so-excellent stats for the season, Krunal is MI’s worst player of the season (but not ‘bad’ by any stretch of the imagination)

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Delhi Capitals – Prithvi Shaw

Prithvi Shaw had a season to forget for Delhi Capitals (DC) as the opener continued to struggle against swing and bounce early in the innings in nearly every match. Apart from a match-winning knock against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Shaw could not justify the reputation that surrounds him as a future great of the game.

Shaw found himself dismissed in the very first over a lot of times in this year’s IPL. He was axed from the playing XI after a string of poor performances. When his replacement Ajinkya Rahane couldn’t perform particularly well either, Shaw returned to the XI but after failing again, DC decided to go without Shaw in the first Qualifier and the Final. Shaw will want to bounce back by performing well in India’s tour of Australia where he might open in Tests.

Sunrisers Hyderabad – Abhishek Sharma

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) did not have any player in their squad that struggled. SRH came together as a team and performed really well without depending too much on individual brilliance. Their lower-middle order and 5th bowling option continued to come under scrutiny though.

Young Abhishek Sharma was picked during the first half of the tournament as the one to solve SRH’s lower-middle order and 5th bowler issues. However, he couldn’t particularly shine with either bat or ball. He was targeted by opposition batsmen to score runs off. Abhishek’s performances were not bad but in SRH’s season, his ones were probably the worst.

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Royal Challengers Bangalore – Aaron Finch

Australian limited-overs captain Aaron Finch was picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the auction to complement Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers by providing blazing starts at the top. However, the big-hitting batter could not do justice to RCB’s faith in him as he could only muster 268 runs for his side.

Finch couldn’t come up with a single match-winning knock, something his side would have wanted more of. It was his partner Devdutt Padikkal who shone at the top of the order. If Finch continues to play for RCB next season, he will want to prove why he is regarded as one of the best T20 players in world cricket.

Kolkata Knight Riders – Andre Russell

The failure of Andre Russell this season for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) was probably the biggest disappointment for the franchise. With the reputation of being probably the most feared batsman in world cricket at the moment, Russell couldn’t come remotely close to justifying it. Russell could only come up with starts before falling.

Russell’s bowling was decent as the West Indian kept it tight and economical. But he could return only 6 wickets. Russell’s injury problems with his hamstring continued and kept him out from playing 4 matches for his side. Had Russell performed well along with fellow West Indian Sunil Narine, KKR might have had a better chance at winning the IPL.

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Kings XI Punjab – Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell KXIP

Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) all-rounder Glenn Maxwell was another player who could not justify his reputation in the IPL this year. A lot was expected of the Australian as he had come to the UAE for the IPL off the back of a match-winning century for Australia against England. What was stunning was that Maxwell who is known for hitting huge sixes could not hit a single maximum in the 13 matches he played.

Maxwell was fairly decent with his bowling as a 6th bowling option. He had 3 wickets to show for his efforts. It now remains to be seen if KXIP will retain him or let him go especially because of the huge price tag associated with him. Whichever team he turns up for, Maxwell will be out to recover from this year’s poor performances.

Chennai Super Kings – Kedar Jadhav

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) had an uncharacteristic and below-par IPL season. The team struggled with intent, stitching together partnership and completing chases. The batter that typified CSK’s struggles was Kedar Jadhav. The Indian international had a horror season as he could only score 62 runs from 8 matches.

What added to Jadhav’s misery was the fact that Jadhav struggled in crucial match situations which led to CSK losing matches due to his poor form. His performances were met with overwhelming criticism from various circles and the 35-year-old was subsequently dropped from the side.

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Rajasthan Royals – Robin Uthappa

After being released from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Robin Uthappa was picked up by Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the auction with the hopes of strengthening their core of Indian batsmen. In the beginning of the season, Uthappa was played in the middle-order. This led to him getting limited chances. He couldn’t play the role of a finisher with aplomb.

Towards the second half of the season, Uthappa was promoted as an opener. Uthappa shone in his first match by giving his side a quick-fire start. However, as was the case from then on, Uthappa could not convert his starts into a big score. In the end, Uthappa could only manage 196 runs in his franchise’s unsuccessful season.

Also Read: Top 5 Bowling Performances of the Season