IPL 2022: Flop Indian XI from the third week

After the first three weeks of IPL 2022, we have already seen a lot of thrill and excitement for the spectators with matches going down to the wire. There have been certain matches where an individual performance has won their team a game, while on the other hand, in some matches, all players together contribute to their team’s victory.

Throughout the first three weeks, there have been many players who have made us go awestruck with their fearless stroke play, fiery bowling, and stupendous fielding. At the same time, there have been certain Indian players who have just not lived up to their reputation yet and are struggling to find their rhythm in the 15th edition of the Tata IPL. On their given day, these underperformers are good enough to walk straight into the playing XI of any IPL team, but they just haven’t been able to deliver so far.

Flop Indian XI of the 3rd week of IPL 2022

1. Rohit Sharma (C)

Team India’s all-format captain and the captain of the five-time IPL champions, Rohit Sharma haven’t been able to make it big in IPL 2022 so far. Known for having two seconds more than any other batter in the world, is currently struggling to time the ball properly. Rohit has got good starts but just has not been able to convert those starts into big match-winning 50s or 70s.

Rohit Sharma has scored just 108 runs this season at a below-par average of just 21.60 with his best score of 41 runs. The talismanic run-scorer has thrown away his wicket with lazy shots or, at times, has been a victim of good smart bowling from the opponents. For someone of Rohit’s caliber, not just the Mumbai supporters but even Team India admirers would be disappointed with his mediocre performances so far.

Mumbai Indians (MI) are currently struggling at the bottom of the points table, and one of the major reasons for that is, the poor show from their captain. The Mumbai side will be hoping for Rohit to hit those big sixes once again and sail his team to the playoffs. This year, the team has struggled to get off to a fast start in the first six overs.

2. Ruturaj Gaikwad

The “Orange Cap” holder of the 14th edition of the IPL is yet another disappointment from this year’s IPL so far. Ruturaj has performed so poorly that he has not been able to cross the 20-run mark in an innings this year, with 17 being his highest score in five matches. Gaikwad’s poor performance is one of the major reasons behind CSK’s downfall this year, as they have been constantly losing wickets in the powerplay.

Ruturaj is the only Chennai batter from the top six who has not hit even a single six this year. While Gaikwad has managed to score 35 runs in five innings at an average of just 7 runs per innings. CSK fans would be hoping for a copy-paste of last year’s performance, where Gaikwad began with similar single-digit scores and went on to don the Orange Cap at the end of the season.

Gaikwad, who plays the anchor role for CSK, needs to get back to form at the earliest. Chennai Super Kings, who are currently ninth in the points table, will be hoping for a quick turnaround. Without Ruturaj scoring those crucial runs, it would be difficult for them to qualify for the playoffs this season.

3. Ajinkya Rahane

India’s former Test vice-captain, Ajinkya Rahane, who has been fighting for his place in the Indian Test team for the past two years, was given a fantastic opportunity by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to open and anchor the innings. This was Rahane’s chance to prove to the world that he has still got it and can perform at this level, but his performance wasn’t any different from what it has been for him in the red-ball format for India.

He showed promise with one inning of 44 runs against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the opening match of IPL 2022, but just tanked thereafter. Rahane has scored 80 runs in five innings, with a fairly poor strike rate of just 100, in this age and generation of fearsome openers who get going from the word go.

The flop shows of Rahane have resulted in him being benched after five matches by the KKR management. Rahane will be hoping for a chance to redeem himself as the opener in the latter stages of the IPL. Fans of both the Indian and the Knight Riders teams will be hoping that the veteran batter can turn back the clock with quickfire starts for the Knight Riders.

4. Vijay Shankar

The three-dimensional player of the Gujarat Titans (GT) is yet to fire in this year’s IPL. After being purchased by Gujarat for INR 1.4 crores, they were expecting an all-round performance from Vijay Shankar. However, Shankar has scored just 19 runs in three innings at a substandard average of just 6.33 runs per innings.

So far in IPL 2022, the Tamil Nadu all-rounder has scores of 4, 13, and 2. Vijay, who was out with an injury for two matches, was trusted again by the management after his recovery. But the seasoned all-rounder has failed to cross even the 15-run mark in an inning.

Not only that, Vijay Shankar is the lowest scoring batter in Gujarat’s team. Though the GT management has backed the 31-year-old all-rounder match after match, the results haven’t been in their favor, with Vijay failing with both bat and ball.

5. Ambati Rayudu

Ambati Rayudu, who has always been one of the most underrated batters, is performing way below his true potential this season so far. The fiery Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter is yet to wreak havoc in the 15th edition of the IPL with unsatisfactory scores of 15, 27, 13, and 27 in his last four innings for the defending champions.

Rayudu, who is playing at a strike rate of just 96.47 this season, has scored 82 runs at a mere average of 20.50 runs per innings. Rayudu himself would be itching to go beyond this lean phase and smack the bowlers all over the park. He has been a key pillar in Chennai’s success in winning the trophy in both the 2018 and 2021 seasons.

Rayudu scored 257 runs in the 2021 season with a blistering strike rate of 151.17 with the highest score of 72 not out. Rayudu was the highest run-scorer for CSK in the 2018 season, scoring over 600 runs that season at a strike rate of 149.75.

6. Rishabh Pant (WK)

The Indian wicket-keeper batsman and captain of the Delhi Capitals (DC), has had a disappointing season in the first three weeks of IPL 2022. Rishabh Pant, who has batted in all four matches, is yet to deliver results for his team. The keeper batter has played some irresponsible shots, gifting his wicket to the opposition.

Being the captain, he has played very differently than the Rishabh Pant we know from the Indian team. The Delhi captain has scored just 110 runs in four innings, with his best score of 43 runs. The man known for hitting humongous sixes is yet to come to the party.

The fervent Delhi fans will be hoping that “Pantastic” Rishabh reaches his peak sooner rather than later. The 24-year-old cricketer has been among the top four run-scorers for the Capitals right from the 2016 season. He has never failed to amaze us with his match-winning innings, and Delhi supporters will be wishing for nothing different from their favorite cricketer.

7. Ravindra Jadeja

The newly appointed Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper, who is known for his sword-style celebration and big hits in the death overs, has missed the bus of timing this year. Jadeja, who has always been a sweet timer of the ball, is trying to swing hard at everything and has swung the bat in the air in disappointment so far in IPL 2022.

The pressure of captainship is evident not only in Jadeja’s body language but also in his gameplay, which has made him ultra-defensive. Averaging below 17 runs per innings, Ravindra has scored just 66 runs in five innings at a very unlike Jadeja’s strike rate of 117.86. Neither has Jadeja the bowler come to the party yet. While leaking runs at 8.24 per over, Jadeja has managed to pick up just four wickets in five innings for CSK so far, with three of them coming in one inning.

CSK has always been a force to be reckoned with both the bat and the ball. The whistle-podu army will be whistling their lungs out for their newly appointed skipper to get going in the remaining matches of the season. Without Jadeja peaking with his all-round abilities, CSK will fall behind in the title race this season.

8. Shardul Thakur

The Palghar Express, Shardul Thakur, was considered, the man with the golden arm by his former franchise, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who would just come and break crucial partnerships with his knuckleball. However, Thakur hasn’t been able to deliver the golden balls yet, nor has he been able to score those important runs in the death for his new franchise, the Delhi Capitals (DC).

Shardul has bowled 15.2 overs so far in IPL 2022 and has been able to pick up just three wickets in four innings. While going wicketless in two matches, Thakur has heavily leaked runs, giving almost 10 runs per over in all the matches he has played so far. While Shardul the bowler has been off the song, Shardul the pinch hitter has also not been up to the mark yet, scoring just 53 runs in three innings.

We all know how handy Shardul can be with the bat, with his Brisbane innings still fresh in the memories of every cricket fan. Delhi fans would be hoping for Shardul to turn up the party as we are heading to the halfway mark of IPL 2022.

9. Ravichandran Ashwin

Another Indian veteran in the list of flop shows in the IPL so far is, Ravichandran Ashwin. The best red-ball specialist in India and the world has become a carrom ball bowler in T20 cricket, but he has not been able to give breakthroughs to his new franchise, Rajasthan Royals (RR). Ashwin has now transformed into a situational bowler, bowling off-spinners to left-handers and carrom balls to right-handers.

Ashwin has so far bowled 20 overs in five innings and has taken just one wicket. The only wicket that Ashwin has managed to pick up this year so far was from his ‘off-spin’ ball, which was a classic Test match dismissal, going right through the defenses of Tilak Varma. Ashwin, who is lethal with his off-spinners, should back himself not just against the left-handers but even against the right-handers in T20 cricket.

From the outset, it feels like the best off-spinner in the world currently has lost his confidence in bowling off-spin to right-handers. Fans of both India and RR will be hoping that Aswhin can regain his form in time for the T20 World Cup.

10. Mohammed Siraj

One of the three retained players by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Mohammed Siraj, has leaked runs at the pace of nots for RCB this year. Siraj, who was retained ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal by the RCB management, was trusted to pick wickets with the new ball and contain the batters in the death overs. After his heroics for Team India in Test cricket, Siraj was expected to fire all cylinders for the Royal Challengers.

To RCB and everyone’s surprise, forget the wickets, Siraj has not been able to even contain the batters and has given away more than 10 runs per over in the five matches he has featured in so far. The Hyderabadi pacer has managed to pick up just three wickets from the 20 overs that he has bowled.

Siraj had picked up a total of 22 wickets in the last two seasons for RCB at a decent economy rate. Siraj has consistently been one of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s top three wicket-takers. RCB fans will be hoping that the young pacer will be firing on all cylinders for them.

11. Jasprit Bumrah

The Yorker-king of the Mumbai Indians (MI) has been treated just like any other ordinary bowler by the opposition batters in this year’s IPL. Bumrah, who has been the key pillar in MI’s success over the years, was their second choice of retention after skipper Rohit Sharma. While in the previous few years, Bumrah’s four overs were like gold dust to Rohit, this year it has been completely the opposite.

Though Jasprit has been economical, giving just under eight runs per over, he has just not been able to pick wickets at regular intervals. Bumrah has so far taken four wickets in five matches, with three of them coming in a single outing. Jasprit has gone wicketless in three matches, which is unbelievable for someone of Bumrah’s caliber and experience.

“Aamchi-Mumbai’ supporters will be hoping to have in-form Bumrah back soon. Jasprit had 21 wickets and was one of the 14th edition’s leading wicket-takers. Once Bumrah is back at full pace and delivering those toe-crushing yorkers, Mumbai can once again dream of making it to the playoffs.

Written by Kannan Nair