IPL 2021: 5 Blunders committed by bottom four teams so far

The IPL 2021 season which had kickstarted on April 9th, has finally completed its first leg, along with displaying a fair idea of how the rest of the competition will pan out. The current points table which earlier had exhibited some strandedness has finally now painted some neat picture regarding the top and the bottom teams, both by showcasing their accumulated points and their overall performances.

Teams like CSK, RCB, DC, and MI have finally seemed to found their winning formula to afloat high in the points table. Whereas, the bottom four teams are yet to discover some momentum, along with some profound blueprint for winning. So far the topsy-turvy ride of these bottom four teams has put the overall competition into a one-sided affair and are in desperate need of a courageous rocket to shoot up their standings.

However, there have also been some common blundering patterns amongst these bottom four teams that have engulfed them in the rear four. Hence in this list, here are –

5 mistakes done by the bottom four franchises of IPL 2021

1. Inconsistent performances of premier overseas batters

Premier overseas batters, who are often the primary cogs of any IPL team, have been highly inconsistent for these IPL franchises, perhaps also raising a question mark on their bona fide establishments. Someone like Jos Buttler, who plays a significant leading role in RR’s substandard batting lineup, is yet to fire in full force and has only amassed 130 runs from his 6 innings. Similarly, someone like Nicholas Pooran, who often has a lofty responsibility of scoring hefty runs in PBKS’s middle-order, has collected mere 28 runs from his seven outings.

Even in a high-class batting line-up of KKR, their skipper Eoin Morgan is yet to consistently produce some match winnings knocks and has only scored a total of 92 runs from his 7 outings. Also to some extent, SRH’s chief operating batter, David Warner has been underwhelming especially when his runs are being produced at a low-end strike of around 110.

Now the above fitful numbers of these elite batters in many ways have caused a dreadful situation for these IPL teams especially with these players also being their biggest match winners. Overall, the concerning form of these batters does need a foremost fix, or else these franchises might face bigger havoc in the end.

2. Awful middle-order batting

The middle-order batting of most teams that had played in Chennai had endured an obnoxious time at the sluggish Chepauk wickets, but the middle-order of these bottom four teams, in particular, is yet to function in harmony. In RR’s case, specifically, players like Shivam Dube and Riyan Parag are yet to play a match-defining inning and collectively are averaging under 20 at present. Even the middle-order of the PBKS franchise is yet to deliver in tandem, but there have been flashes of individual brilliance.

However, the middle-order batting of teams like SRH and KKR have found to be most vulnerable especially with SRH also getting castigated for their awful selection calls. The orange army has often been made to bat second wherein their middle-order batting has mainly regressed on all occasions. Even in the KKR camp, someone like a Dinesh Karthik is yet to unveil himself for a blistering knock along with Andre Russell finishing games for them.

Surprisingly, even after moving on better batting wickets, the middle-order of these teams is yet to come into action and produce match-winning causes for them. Their overall inferiority has also propelled some top-order batters to play cautiously, ultimately refraining them from playing their natural game.

3. Insufficient sizable starts from openers

Regardless of the friendly conditions, the opening partnerships in IPL 2021 are turning out to be a massive aid in the overall end totals especially with the power play period yielding exuberant runs for the teams. However, the opening partnerships of these IPL teams have predominately been bleak, barring PBKS, whose openers have produced a single three-figure stand and a single fifty-run stand.

The openers of the KKR franchise have so far given the team a mere two fifty-plus partnerships and are currently facing another level of an ordeal to produce sizable starts. On the other hand, the RR team is the worst hit as not only there’s been a constant rotation in their opening pairs, but also has only produced a single sizable partnership of 66 runs. However, for SRH, the duo of Johnny Bairstow and David Warner have indulged in two sizable stands from their current four outings.

All in all, teams like CSK and DC have often posted or successfully have chased lofty totals based on their vigorous opening stands, along with MI and RCB also showing enough glimpses. Hence, a sturdy opening pair and some sizable runs at the top are the integral needs that these teams must quickly address.

4. Lack of wickets by front-line spinners

While someone like Rashid Khan and KKR’s Varun Chakravarthy have been clinical with their performances, teams like PBKS and RR have highly suffered from their spinners. In PBSKS’ case, the team had first started with Murugan Ashwin, but the leg-spinner could only fetch a single wicket from his three games. Even someone like Fabian Allen had received an opportunity to play twice, but the spinner barely scalped a wicket.

Someone like a Ravi Bishnoi, who recently has been infused into the side has started to deliver immediately with two instant scalps being bagged at an economical rate. However, for RR, the problem of spin becomes much bigger, as their leading leg-spinner, Shreyas Gopal was recently taken to cleaners in his two matches that too without fetching a single wicket. The team eventually now only bowls with Rahul Tewatia’s leg-spin which in particular hasn’t produced any fruitful results.

All in all, by extensively casting their spinners, teams like CSK, DC, and MI have found some fruitful results especially in the middle passage of play to make blooming comebacks. Similarly, rather than facing annihilation, the RR team must quickly bring a resolve regarding their front-line spinner’s omission from the playing XI.

5. Absence of reliable spells by overseas pacers

The overseas pacers which are often procured for producing match-winning results have been big disappointments in both PBKS and RR’s case especially with PBKS struggling to find its reliable overseas pacer. Earlier the Punjab team had instantly preferred Jhye Richardson’s bowling, but the Australian pacer has faced some serious hammering in his initial games eventually leaking runs at an economy of over 10. Even Riley Meredith who has collectively played in 4 matches, has only bagged three wickets at an economy of 10.05.

Now the above instant failures of the Australian duo have finally propelled the franchise to cast Chris Jordan in their playing XI hereby already making them face a big odious situation in general. Even Mustafizur Rahman, who has now been given an extended run in the RR team, has mainly been ordinary with only 5 wickets being bagged from his six games that too at an aching economy of almost 9.

Overall, barring Chris Morris, neither the overseas pacers of both teams have bowled reliable spells nor have fetched any wickets to create a rigorous impact. Their unsteadiness has surely pinched the teams in many ways and does demand a quick restoration regarding their overall bowling.