Is the Indian Premier League jinxed? Not a year goes by without India’s cricketing carnival ruffling a few feathers here and there. And the 2016 edition has taken the cake, what with court cases everywhere and the Board of Control for Cricket in India being forced to shift matches out of Maharashtra because of the drought in the state. In fact, the controversy irked the cricket body so much that secretary Anurag Thakur even darkly hinted that the tournament’s governing council would contemplate shifting the event out of India next year.
The action on the field hasn’t helped matters. Out of the first 15 games, only one was won by the team batting first, lending an air of predictability to proceedings. Gujarat Lions and Kolkata Knight Riders have been the early pacesetters. But like every other season, every side, with the exception of the Kolkata Knight Riders, has had a few big names unable to live up to the hype.
Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya made a name for himself with his performances for the Mumbai Indians last season. He rode his way into the national team where he impressed with his big-hitting skills and handy bowling. However, this time around, things have been completely different. He has not been able to get past double digits in his six games yet and has only taken two wickets in those matches. Ironically enough, his elder brother Krunal Pandya has stolen the march over him, with the elder Pandya impressing, both with bat and ball in the four games he has played for the Mumbai franchise.
Rising Pune Supergiants: Ravichandran Ashwin
After a superlative 2015 in which Ravichandran Ashwin was the undisputed star of Indian cricket, 2016 has been a story of disappointments. He was steady without being spectacular in the World Twenty20 and was then at the centre of controversy after being under-bowled in the key semi-final clash against West Indies which India lost. It was a trend which continued in the IPL as well – Ashwin was given only one over in the first game Pune played against Mumbai. In the two games that followed, he bowled his full quota of overs but failed to take a single wicket. Even on Sunday against the Kolkata Knight Riders, Ashwin was only given two overs and went for 21 runs.
Delhi Daredevils: Pawan Negi
Many eyebrows were raised when former Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Pawan Negi became the most expensive Indian player at the 2016 IPL auction, when the Delhi Daredevils snapped him up for Rs 8.5 crore. But Negi has hardly lived up to his price tag – in three matches so far, he’s only bowled five overs for 55 runs and made a grand total of 29 runs in his three innings.
Kings XI Punjab: David Miller
Captaincy seems to have taken a toll on the swashbuckling South African David Miller. Despite being in decent form before the IPL, he has not managed to get past 15 in the five innings he’s played until now. Nor has his captaincy been impressive either – Punjab sit bottom of the table after four games, having won just once.
Gujarat Lions: James Faulkner
Australia’s James Faulkner has a reputation for being a finisher – both with bat and ball. But the only thing he’s been doing this season in the IPL is finding new ways to disappoint. In the first three games, his captain Suresh Raina trusted him to bowl at the end of the innings, but Faulkner was carted all over. He could have salvaged his reputation with the bat when he walked in with his team at 131/6 against Mumbai in a key game, but lost his wicket cheaply. By the fourth game, his franchise had had enough and dropped him.
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Chris Gayle
Considering Chris Gayle only played two games for Bangalore before flying back home for the birth of his daughter, it would be a bit of stretch to call Gayle a flop. But with the kind of reputation that Chris Gayle brings to the Twenty20 format, and with his own grand proclamation that he builds Twenty20 leagues, scores of 1 and 0 in two games have been disappointing returns. Hopefully, the Gayle force will be strong when he returns, suitably refreshed, after seeing his baby daughter.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Shikhar Dhawan
India’s Shikhar Dhawan did manage to return to some semblance of form on Thursday after hitting a half-century against the Gujarat Lions. It could not have come any sooner. His run of form has been dire of late and in a Hyderabad team which is incredibly dependent on him and David Warner at the top of the innings, scores of 8, 6 and 2 were unacceptable. Despite scores of 53 not out and 45 in his last two outings, Dhawan still looked quite tentative and will want to get back to his moustache-twirling, marauding best.
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