IPL 2023: First Week Flop XI

In the opening week of the Indian Premier League 2023, some players have done an exceptional job. Players such as Kyle Mayers, Prabhsimran Singh, Mark Wood, and Nathan Ellis showcased their mettle and grabbed the eyes of league watchers. While, veterans such as 2022 IPL Orange Cap winner Jos Buttler, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Rashid Khan continued their last edition’s excellent form in the first week of this season.

Albeit, on the contrary, some players have been able to justify their price tag and place while playing for their respective IPL franchises. Before the tournament, these names were expected to showcase their best but after the conclusion of the first week, it has been witnessed that they struggled to be among the runs and wickets. Furthermore, some names have been baffling given the fact that they scripted history at the auction by becoming one of the most expensive players in the mega carnival.

In the same vein, let us examine how the past week has panned out for various franchises. Interestingly enough, with the introduction of the Impact player rule. Consequently, some of these players could have created a great impact on the outcomes of the matches played so far but have had a lacklustre run in the tournament so far.

Discussing more, here is the flop XI from the first week of the 2023 IPL:

1. KL Rahul (Lucknow Super Giants) (Captain & Wicketkeeper)

In the last few months, KL Rahul has continued his poor form in a national jersey, but ahead of the 2023 IPL his fabulous batting record in the T20 extravaganza gave some hope to his supporters. However, his disastrous form followed him in the cash-rich league as well.

Leading his team in the first IPL 2023 contest, he couldn’t be influential with his bat against David Warner-led Delhi Capitals. Kicking off the innings with the dashing West Indies batter, Kyle Mayers, Rahul gave his wicket to the medium-fast pacer, Chetan Sakariya, scoring only eight runs off 12 deliveries.

Playing the away game against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), they were pursuing a colossal total of 218. In the huge game, the LSG team management and fans were expecting Rahul to lead from the front, but the wicketkeeper adopted a defensive approach against the bowlers, which sent him back to the pavilion with his score of 20 off just 18.