IPL 2020: ‘10.7 crores for 58 runs’ - Top five flops of the season

[The Viper]

The Indian Premier League 2020 has crossed the halfway mark and we have witnessed some crazy moments so far this year. The league started with two Super Overs in the first week and several other close finishes. Despite IPL 2020 not being a run-fest, it is turning out to be the most exciting season so far with highly intense finishes in almost every game.

So far, 37 league games have been played, and Delhi Capitals are leading the IPL 2020 Points Table with Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore following them. These three teams are almost certain to qualify for the play-offs. The remaining five teams are in contention for the fourth spot where Kolkata Knight Riders have a better chance of qualifying.

Several players haven’t lived up to the expectations and not being able to give the desired results their teams wanted. Here we are having a look at five of those players, who let the fans down with a string of bad performances.

Pat Cummins (KKR)

Australian pace spearhead Pat Cummins was snapped up by Kolkata Knight Riders for a whopping amount of 15.5 crores. He has previously played for KKR in 2014 before moving to Delhi Capitals. In the nine games so far, he has looked off-colour with the ball in hand and managed just three wickets so far at an economy of 8.42.

However, he has looked good with the bat with 126 runs at a strike rate of 161. He top-scored against Mumbai Indians with a fifty and rescued his team from a humiliating position. He hasn’t looked like the bowler he is at the international level.

Glenn Maxwell (KXIP)

Kings XI Punjab expressed their fondness for Glenn Maxwell in the auction and bought him for a big sum of 10.75 crores. Maxwell has played for KXIP previously and is a part of their folklore for his heroics in 2014. The all-rounder took his team to the final of IPL 2014 single handedly by scoring huge runs. Everyone was expecting him to replicate the success he tasted when the last time IPL was played in UAE.

But to everyone’s surprise, Maxwell hasn’t hit a single six in the first nine league matches of the season. Moreover, he has an unthinkable strike rate of below 100 for his 58 runs in the same period. His only wicket came against Royal Challengers Bangalore. In short, ‘Big Show’ turned into a ‘Big Flop’ in the IPL 2020.

Sheldon Cottrell (KXIP)

Sheldon Cottrell got a name for himself when he sent down few salutes to Indian batsmen when West Indies was touring India before the auction of IPL 2020. Everyone loved his wicket-taking celebration more than his swinging deliveries upfront. Hence, he lured a buyer for himself in IPL in the form of Kings XI Punjab, who paid 8.5 crores for his services.

Cottrell gave a few salutes at the start of the season but as the league progressed, salutes dried up. Eventually, he was dumped from the playing XI after six games. Four of his six wickets came in the first two games but managed just two in the last four. He was conceding runs at 8.8 runs per over.

Robin Uthappa (RR)

Robin Uthappa had been with Kolkata Knight Riders for a long time in the IPL but was released after last season. Rajasthan Royals showed immediate interest in him during the auction and grabbed him for 3 crores. He is a seasoned opener when it comes to IPL but hasn’t fared well this year. Uthappa has managed just 124 runs in seven games at a strike rate of 117. RR had great expectations from him but he hasn’t lived upon them so far in IPL 2020. He has started opening the innings now and has shown some improvement in his form.

James Neesham (KXIP)

The Kiwi all-rounder is always in news for his tweets. Kings XI Punjab instantly secured him for 50 lakhs. He got into the playing XI for three games, where he batted just once for his seven runs. With the ball, he has bowled 10 overs so far and has a solitary wicket to show. Hence, he hasn’t lived up to expectations.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/crick...VpIkM630K.html

[MenInG]

Mostly foreign names - local players earning their keep it seems.

[Hasan123]

Neesham has only played 3 games I wouldn't call him a flop as he has hardly played. Someone like Kedhar Jahdav has been much worse.

[alexjohn_tcr]

The first name in the list should be of MS Dhoni

[Rana]

The first name in the list should be of MS Dhoni

No Cummins is just fine

[Saj]

Shouldn't there be a few more local players on this list or is it just mainly for foreign players.

[Rana]

Shouldn't there be a few more local players on this list or is it just mainly for foreign players.

The put Uthappa at 4. Not sure what Samson or Unadkat where paid but they should be in the Indian flops list

[Pacy with wisdom]

Gimme Haris Rauf and Wahab over cummins in t20's anyday.

[Thunderbolt14]

I remember an argument with a poster here who tried to convince me Amir would not make it into the IPL during the 2016-2020 period.

I simply told him I knew all I needed to know. That is, Pat Cummins is the most expensive foreign contract in the league. Enough said.

[Cric_lover4487]

Neesham has only played 3 games I wouldn't call him a flop as he has hardly played. Someone like Kedhar Jahdav has been much worse.

You can't say Neesham a flop, considering the fact that he got sold at base price of just 50 lakhs. I think Cummins would have done better if IPL was in India. His bowling style doesn't suit pitches right now.

[Cric_lover4487]

I remember an argument with a poster here who tried to convince me Amir would not make it into the IPL during the 2016-2020 period.

I simply told him I knew all I needed to know. That is, Pat Cummins is the most expensive foreign contract in the league. Enough said.

Amir would definitely make in IPL considering likes of Cortrell, Jordan etc collecting easy paychecks. Anyone who disagress is just biased.

[naseem]

Jadhav
Dhoni
Russell
Bravo
Jaiswal
Mavi
Kuldeep
Thampi
Khaleel
Nagarkoti
Garg
DK......although did well recently

[ShoonyaSifar]

What a terribly written article, only meant for grabbing attention and to get more clicks. The journo perhaps is also very jealous of money these cricketers are making. None of these players have looked complacent, they look very involved working with youngsters and showing a great attitude despite the prospect s of being in a bio bubble for nearly 3 months, away from friends and family. I'll see these below par performances as just a temporary dip.

They are all assets for IPL and add significantly to the strength of the tournament. Franchises will remain interested in each of them (except Uthappa, who should be in comm box now) and they will keep attracting massive bids in the next auctions.

[naseem]

What a terribly written article, only meant for grabbing attention and to get more clicks. The journo perhaps is also very jealous of money these cricketers are making. None of these players have looked complacent, they look very involved working with youngsters and showing a great attitude despite the prospect s of being in a bio bubble for nearly 3 months, away from friends and family. I'll see these below par performances as just a temporary dip.

They are all assets for IPL and add significantly to the strength of the tournament. Franchises will remain interested in each of them (except Uthappa, who should be in comm box now) and they will keep attracting massive bids in the next auctions.

Yeah just like one team crawled to 125 and one foreign player made more than half of runs....
IPL has money and gliz and is one of the oldest t20 league...... So naturally it will b discussed in any cricket country.....
IPL or any league is not a learning exercise ...it's business and we r just discussing some of the poor investments which yielded zero return....

[BreadPakoda]

I remember an argument with a poster here who tried to convince me Amir would not make it into the IPL during the 2016-2020 period.

I simply told him I knew all I needed to know. That is, Pat Cummins is the most expensive foreign contract in the league. Enough said.

Hindsight is 20:20. Also looking at his National T20 performance I doubt Amir deserves a place even if he lasts a season without breaking down.

[Bewal Express]

The Ind pacers have gone backwards and they were paid a lot of money. Mavi and Nagarkoti look like a busted flushes. And am I the only one to notice that Tyagis action at times is a little more than dubious.

[Varun]

IPL don't buy players to win - they are just there for marketing purposes.

[Rana]

IPL don't buy players to win - they are just there for marketing purposes.

Might as well sign Katrina Kaif in the process

[Rana]

So SRK basically signed Cummins because of his nice blue eyes

[Varun]

Might as well sign Katrina Kaif in the process

If she can hold a bat, she'll be right in the starting XI of Bombay Vada Pavs vs Hyderabad Biryanis.

[Ab Fan]

Might as well sign Katrina Kaif in the process

Naah, she doesn't hold the same demand as it was 8-9 years ago.

[Hasan123]

You can't say Neesham a flop, considering the fact that he got sold at base price of just 50 lakhs. I think Cummins would have done better if IPL was in India. His bowling style doesn't suit pitches right now.

I think one thing unfair about this IPL, the squads were assembled for playing in India but the tournament is in UAE. I think they could have allowed another auction.But for the next tournament the venue should be decided before the auction so teams can recruit according to the venue.

[MenInG]

The Indian Premier League 2020 is over and Mumbai Indians won their fifth title. Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag remained quite active throughout the tournament and expressed interesting view points on teams, player and matches. Now that the tournament has come to a close, Sehwag posted a video on Facebook in which he spoke about some of the big names who failed to live up to their billing in IPL 2020.

Sehwag, speaking in the video ‘Viru Ki Baithak’, said that the players he is including in the list are not in any particular order. In his list, the fomrer India opener included Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Aaron Finch, Kings XI Punjab’s Glenn Maxwell, Kolkata Knight Riders’ Andre Russell, Chennai Super Kings’ Shane Watson and RCB’s Dale Steyn.

“Aaron Finch, I gave him my name as a nickname, thinking he would be Viru to Thakur Kohli. Instead, it looks like the Bangalore curse affected him badly and the engine of his batting stalled this season,” Sehwag said.

“Andre Russell’s muscles remained lazy this season and slept after giving us hopes in every innings. Because of that Kolkata didn’t make it to the playoffs this season,” he added.

“Shane Watson, the Chennai fans and we had high hopes from this Diesel Engine but in this season, even after many kickstarts, it didn’t start properly and as the season ended he said that the vehicle cannot be pulled any longer and retired it,” he further said.

“Glenn Maxwell. This 10 crore cheerleader proved very costly for Punjab. His IPL routine for the last few years has been of shirking from work but this season he broke that record as well. This is what you call a highly paid vacation,” Sehwag said of the Australian heavy-hitter who had a forgettable season.

“Dale Steyn. There was a time when everyone was afraid of the bullets from the ‘Steyn Gun’ but this season instead of the ‘Steyn Gun’ we got a homemade pipe gun. I could not believe my eyes seeing him getting hit but one thing became clear that we are unlikely to find a buyer for him now in the IPL market,” Sehwag further added.

Meanwhile, the recently-concluded 13th season of the IPL saw a record-breaking 28 percent increase in viewership compared to the last edition.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/crick...yaQbXDWFL.html

[tyron_woodley]

The put Uthappa at 4. Not sure what Samson or Unadkat where paid but they should be in the Indian flops list

Tbf Samson did decently.

[prakash]

[B]
Meanwhile, the recently-concluded 13th season of the IPL saw a record-breaking 28 percent increase in viewership compared to the last edition.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/crick...yaQbXDWFL.html

How is it possible? IPL is in its 13th season and the viewership has saturated. 28% jump is humongous. I think being stuck at home and nothing else to watch contributed to 28%. Next year it will dip 20%.

[Golden arm]

What a terribly written article, only meant for grabbing attention and to get more clicks. The journo perhaps is also very jealous of money these cricketers are making. None of these players have looked complacent, they look very involved working with youngsters and showing a great attitude despite the prospect s of being in a bio bubble for nearly 3 months, away from friends and family. I'll see these below par performances as just a temporary dip.

They are all assets for IPL and add significantly to the strength of the tournament. Franchises will remain interested in each of them (except Uthappa, who should be in comm box now) and they will keep attracting massive bids in the next auctions.

Decent analysis

[Executioner]

How is it possible? IPL is in its 13th season and the viewership has saturated. 28% jump is humongous. I think being stuck at home and nothing else to watch contributed to 28%. Next year it will dip 20%.

I've actually watched a good chunk of the IPL because there isn't much else to do at home. Not to mention no other cricket matches either.

[MMHS]

The Indian Premier League 2020 has crossed the halfway mark and we have witnessed some crazy moments so far this year. The league started with two Super Overs in the first week and several other close finishes. Despite IPL 2020 not being a run-fest, it is turning out to be the most exciting season so far with highly intense finishes in almost every game.

So far, 37 league games have been played, and Delhi Capitals are leading the IPL 2020 Points Table with Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore following them. These three teams are almost certain to qualify for the play-offs. The remaining five teams are in contention for the fourth spot where Kolkata Knight Riders have a better chance of qualifying.

Several players haven’t lived up to the expectations and not being able to give the desired results their teams wanted. Here we are having a look at five of those players, who let the fans down with a string of bad performances.

Pat Cummins (KKR)

Australian pace spearhead Pat Cummins was snapped up by Kolkata Knight Riders for a whopping amount of 15.5 crores. He has previously played for KKR in 2014 before moving to Delhi Capitals. In the nine games so far, he has looked off-colour with the ball in hand and managed just three wickets so far at an economy of 8.42.

However, he has looked good with the bat with 126 runs at a strike rate of 161. He top-scored against Mumbai Indians with a fifty and rescued his team from a humiliating position. He hasn’t looked like the bowler he is at the international level.

Glenn Maxwell (KXIP)

Kings XI Punjab expressed their fondness for Glenn Maxwell in the auction and bought him for a big sum of 10.75 crores. Maxwell has played for KXIP previously and is a part of their folklore for his heroics in 2014. The all-rounder took his team to the final of IPL 2014 single handedly by scoring huge runs. Everyone was expecting him to replicate the success he tasted when the last time IPL was played in UAE.

But to everyone’s surprise, Maxwell hasn’t hit a single six in the first nine league matches of the season. Moreover, he has an unthinkable strike rate of below 100 for his 58 runs in the same period. His only wicket came against Royal Challengers Bangalore. In short, ‘Big Show’ turned into a ‘Big Flop’ in the IPL 2020.

Sheldon Cottrell (KXIP)

Sheldon Cottrell got a name for himself when he sent down few salutes to Indian batsmen when West Indies was touring India before the auction of IPL 2020. Everyone loved his wicket-taking celebration more than his swinging deliveries upfront. Hence, he lured a buyer for himself in IPL in the form of Kings XI Punjab, who paid 8.5 crores for his services.

Cottrell gave a few salutes at the start of the season but as the league progressed, salutes dried up. Eventually, he was dumped from the playing XI after six games. Four of his six wickets came in the first two games but managed just two in the last four. He was conceding runs at 8.8 runs per over.

Robin Uthappa (RR)

Robin Uthappa had been with Kolkata Knight Riders for a long time in the IPL but was released after last season. Rajasthan Royals showed immediate interest in him during the auction and grabbed him for 3 crores. He is a seasoned opener when it comes to IPL but hasn’t fared well this year. Uthappa has managed just 124 runs in seven games at a strike rate of 117. RR had great expectations from him but he hasn’t lived upon them so far in IPL 2020. He has started opening the innings now and has shown some improvement in his form.

James Neesham (KXIP)

The Kiwi all-rounder is always in news for his tweets. Kings XI Punjab instantly secured him for 50 lakhs. He got into the playing XI for three games, where he batted just once for his seven runs. With the ball, he has bowled 10 overs so far and has a solitary wicket to show. Hence, he hasn’t lived up to expectations.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/crick...VpIkM630K.html

Did Hindustan Times published this master piece really? Have to say - incredible.

In the online forum of The Daily Mail, we use some chosen terms for the DM's journalists .... particularly when they publish three four articles in a day after ManU has lost at home again, or have made a joke of themselves somehow in transfer market. ................. yaad dila dia.

[MenInG]

Virender Sehwag is known for his hard-hitting statements on cricketers and their performances, but the former India batsman seemed to have pushed it a little too far with his remark about Glenn Maxwell. Listing his five flops of the recently-concluded IPL 2020, Sehwag referred to Maxwell as a ’10 crore cheerleader’ who was on a ‘highly-paid vacation’, following the Australia batsman’s poor returns of 103 runs from 13 matches for Kings XI Punjab.

“Glenn Maxwell. This 10 crore cheerleader proved very costly for Punjab. His IPL routine for the last few years has been of shirking from work but this season he broke that record as well. This is what you call a highly paid vacation,” Sehwag said of Maxwell in an episode of his YouTube show ‘Viru ki Baithak’.

Also Read | Bumrah, Shami good but we too have Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins: Australia keeper Alex Carey

Maxwell has responded to Sehwag, saying he wasn’t surprised at the former India opener’s comment and that it’s not the first time this has happened. Maxwell revealed that Sehwag, a former player and a mentor of KXIP, a franchise Maxwell has been associated with since 2014, has not hidden his disappointment regarding the Australia all-rounder.

“It’s ok. Viru is pretty outspoken with his dislike of me, and that’s fine. He’s allowed to say whatever he likes. He’s in the media for such statements, so that’s fine. I deal with that and move on, and take it with a grain of salt with Sehwag,” the West Australian quoted Maxwell as saying.

“I think I’m better equipped with dealing with those sorts of things now. In hindsight it was a pretty good time to go through something like that where I was able to put some groundwork in to deal with adversity. This year has certainly been a massive test of it. To be able to help people through different times of tough periods and be able to help myself through those tough periods has been really key as well.”

Number wise, the 2020 edition was Maxwell’s worst of IPL. With KXIP finding themselves in the middle of a six-match losing streak, the franchise’s slump reflected Maxwell’s, whose highest score in the tournament was 32. Against Kolkata Knight Riders, with six required to win off the last ball, Maxwell thumped the ball towards the boundary which bounced inches short of the ropes. Surprisingly, Maxwell was unable to hit even a single six this season, which a stark contrast from 2017, when he cleared the boundary 26 times.

“I was an inch short in one of the games. All I thought was, ‘Geez I should have gone to the gym a few more times before this game’. Having won the most sixes twice in that tournament, it’s pretty rare to go through a whole tournament without hitting one. I certainly copped a bit from a few of my teammates, but it was all in good jest,” Maxwell added.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/crick...bP15hh0iL.html