5 Players who are hits in IPL but flops in PSL

The T20 format has changed the complexion of the cricket big time. Every now and then we see the birth of a new T20 league. Almost every cricketing nation has a T20 league of its own. While England and Australia first led the way in the shortest format, the Indian Premier League (IPL) was the first big franchise-based tournament.

Thus, over the last 12 years, the IPL has become better, bigger and stronger. However, the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is coming along nicely as well. There have been four seasons so far and it seems to be getting better every year. There are various players who play a lot of T20 cricket all around the world.

In fact, there are some players who feature only in multiple T20 leagues around the world, including the IPL and PSL. Thus, here we take a look at five players who did well in the IPL but couldn’t really replicate their success in the PSL.

Here we bring you five players who are hits in IPL but flops in PSL:

Chris Gayle

It is rather surprising that the Universe Boss makes this list. It is no secret that Chris Gayle is a superstar of T20 cricket. He has played for more than 20 teams all around the world. Most runs (13022), most hundreds (22), most half-centuries (80), most sixes (959), highest individual score (175) and what not, Gayle owns most of the T20 batting records.

However, he has been a big flop in the PSL. The Jamaican opener has played two seasons of the PSL where he represented Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars. But in the 14 games he played across two seasons, Gayle could muster just 263 runs at an average of 18.78. His strike-rate of 127.05 is poor as well. Moreover, PSL is one of the only few leagues where Gayle hasn’t scored a T20 ton.

Meanwhile, Gayle is an IPL legend. He has scored 4484 runs at an average of 41.13 and at a strike-rate of over 150. There have been multiple IPL seasons where he’s absolutely dominated and ruled over bowlers. No other batsman has six hundreds in the history of the league. Hence, Gayle could be termed as one of the biggest flops in the PSL.

Kevin Pietersen

When Kevin Pietersen first entered the IPL auction in 2009, he was one of the biggest attractions. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) bought the former England captain for a staggering amount of USD 1.55 million. However, he kept shifting teams and yet he was successful.

Pietersen played 36 games in the IPL for three different teams. He amassed 1001 runs at an average of 35.75. For each of the three teams he played, he averaged in excess of 32. However, it was in stark contrast to his record in the PSL. Pietersen played three seasons for Quetta Gladiators.

However, he could score just 611 runs at an average 26.56 which was way below his IPL average. In fact, his PSL numbers are not even at par with his overall T20 record. The South African-born played 200 T20s and amassed 5695 runs at an average of almost 34.

Andre Russell

In the recent past, Andre Russell has become a T20 beast. He may be one of the hardest hitters of the cricket ball in the world at the moment. No target seems out of reach until Russell is still out there in the middle. His ability to hit sixes is remarkable.

He showed that on multiple occasions in the IPL. The hard-hitting all-rounder single-handedly won games for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). In 64 IPL games, Russell has scored 1400 runs at an average of 33.33. What’s even better is his strike-rate which is 186.42, the best by any batsman in the history of the IPL.

However, Russell has been a no-show in the PSL. The Jamaican-born has played a couple of seasons. While he’s been good with the ball (21 wickets from 18 games), his struggle has been almost unreal with the bat. Russell has batted 13 times combined for Islamabad United and Multan Sultans but has been able to muster a mere 134 runs at an average of 12.18. Hence, Russell has been among the big flops with the bat in the PSL.

Brendon McCullum

Brendon McCullum is arguably one of the best New Zealand wicket-keepers of all time. His contributions in all three formats for the Kiwis have been magnificent. He may not have outstanding numbers but McCullum had a big impact on the game wherever he played.

The former Kiwi skipper went hard at the top of the order. When in full flow, it was tough to keep him in check. He often gave his side a solid and a brisk start. In addition to this, he was a magnificent fielder. His commitment could never be questioned.

However, his record in the PSL may be one of the only low-key moments of his career. McCullum played 18 games for Lahore Qalandars in 2016 and 2017. He averaged just 20.73 while amassing 311 runs. He had a low strike-rate too – 114.33 and also had no fifty-plus scores. But his numbers in the IPL are much better. In 109 IPL games, he scored 2880 runs which included 13 half-centuries and two hundreds.

Dwayne Bravo

No player in the history of T20 cricket has more wickets than Dwayne Bravo (490 wickets). The West Indian all-rounder may have a slightly higher economy but his ability to pick wickets at regular intervals makes him one of the best bowlers to have played the shortest format. Add to this, his ability to chip in and contribute with the bat and in the field.

Bravo has been one of the best bowlers in the history of the IPL. With 147 wickets, he is fourth on the list of leading wicket-takers list across all seasons. Moreover, he, more often than not, bowls at the death and hence, is very effective. He has also scored 1483 runs in the league which have come at a strike-rate of nearly 130.

However, Bravo has been a flop in the PSL. While his economy is almost similar, he hasn’t been able to pick wickets. Having played 14 games across two seasons (for Lahore Qalandars in 2016 and Quetta Gladiators in 2019), Bravo has been able to take just 11 wickets. Moreover, he hasn’t been able to deliver with the bat as well. He has scored just 134 runs at an average of 14.89. Thus, Bravo has been one of the big disappointments in the PSL.