IPL 2018: 5 RTM'd players who disappointed us so far

The ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) witnessed the mega-auction in January during which all the franchises revamped their respective squads. The teams were built keeping in mind the coveted title which was on offer. While few of them got their picks spot on, remaining are yet to figure out their best combinations. The concept of Right to Match (RTM) card also played an important role as the franchise owners managed to bag the services of their favourite players whom they were not able to retain earlier.

We have reached the halfway stage of the tournament now as the likes of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) look set to qualify for the playoffs. But the other teams are struggling to find their feet so far. For some of the teams, the players whom they retained using the RTM in the auction haven’t paid dividends at all. They are warming the bench now and are unlikely to feature for the remainder of the season as well.

Here we bring you 5 players who were RTM’d but have disappointed so far this season:

5. Faf du Plessis (Chennai Super Kings – Rs 1.6 Crores)

Faf du Plessis came into the IPL this year with an injury to his finger which he had sustained during the Test series against Australia. He was expected to get fit after a couple of matches but didn’t find a place in the XI after CSK won a few matches upfront. It was surprising to see when he wasn’t included even after being available for the side. But he disappointed after getting a chance in three games so far.

Du Plessis got an opportunity to play against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) courtesy the health issues to Imran Tahir. He opened the innings along with Shane Watson but struggled to get going. The 33-year-old could score only 71 runs and that too at a strike rate of 127. He was dropped since then and is yet to play the game after that. It could be argued that he wasn’t given enough opportunities and still might play going ahead in the tournament. But he needs to prove his worth soon given that CSK had used RTM for him.