Let's have a look at players who underperformed in the 15th edition of the IPL.
Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, all franchises were given a chance to retain the players they believe will be the best for them.
The eight original teams were given a choice to retain a maximum of four players. They could at the maximum have two foreign players and one uncapped player. There was a cap of three on retention of Indian capped players.
Soon after the retention, IPL had announced new entrants - Gujarat Titans (GT) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) - who were allowed to pick their three players from the pool of unretained players.
While all looked good on paper, things were different on the field as many of these retained players did not perform to their potential. Let's have a look at players who underperformed in the 15th edition of the IPL.
1. Virat Kohli - Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
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Until 2022, Virat Kohli was the highest-paid cricketer in IPL. He was the first one to be retained by his franchise ahead of the IPL 2018 Player Auction. However, in IPL 2022 he was retained for INR 15 crores.
But his performance, since giving up the captaincy, has seen a drop. In the 16 matches he played in the 15th edition, he scored 341 runs with his highest score being 73.
However, the was in one match, the rest of the games, he did not get much runs on the board. He in fact got out on a duck three times.
(Photo: Virat Kohli Twitter)
2. Mohammed Siraj - Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
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Another player from RCB who has underperformed is pacer Mohammed Siraj. The player was retained for INR 7 crores.
He even went on to register an unwanted record in the Qualifier 2 as he got smashed for three sixes in two overs and ended his wicketless spell with 31 runs. Siraj now has conceded a total of 31 sixes, which is the highest by any player in a single IPL season.
In the 15 matches he played in IPL 2022, the pacer managed to take only nine wickets, giving away 514 runs. His best figure was 2/30.
(Photo: Twitter)
3. Kane Williamson - Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
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Kane Williamson was given the responsibility of skipper after Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) decided to sideline David Warner during the IPL 2021 season.
In IPL 2022, they released Warner and Williamson was made the regular skipper. However, the season has not gone in his favour. Leaving his diamond duck aside, Williamson has not been able to score runs ahead. His highest score was 57 runs.
He is 13 games, he scored 216 runs at an average of 19.64. Not just that, many even questioned his captaincy as well.
(Photo: Twitter)
4. Kieron Pollard - Mumbai Indians (MI)
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Mumbai Indians (MI) had retained Kieron Pollard ahead of IPL 2022 but somehow did not use him much. The West Indies all-rounder played 11 matches and scored 114 runs with his highest being 25 at an average of 14.40.
Surely this was not his best season as was kept away for some games. During the IPL league games, the Windies all-rounder announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 34.
(Photo: Twitter)
5. Jasprit Bumrah - Mumbai Indians (MI)
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Mumbai Indians (MI) pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who had started off the IPL with Virat Kohli as his maiden wicket, saw IPL 2022 not go so much in his favour.
In the 14 matches, he played he took 15 wickets with his best being 5/10. This is not the figure Bumrah is known for, especially when he had picked 21 wickets in the previous season and 27 wickets in the IPL 2020.
(Photo: Jasprit Bumrah Twitter)
6. Rohit Sharma - Mumbai Indians (MI)
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Talking about Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Rohit Sharma, he too saw a dip in his form. In the 14 matches he played in IPL 2022, he scored 268 runs with 48 being his highest. He scored at an average of 19.14.
Surely fans will be wanting the top Indian player to regain form, especially with the World Cup ahead in Australia later this year.
(Photo: Twitter)
7. Axar Patel - Delhi Capitals (DC)
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All-rounder Axar Patel was retained by Delhi Capitals (DC) ahead of IPL 2022. However, he could not impress as how he had done before. With the bat, in 13 games, he scored 182 runs with 42* being his highest at a 45.50 average.
However, with the ball, the spinner took only six wickets and gave away 321 runs. His best figure was 2/10.
(Photo: File Photo)
8. Venkatesh Iyer - Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
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Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had retained Venkatesh Iyer ahead of IPL 2022 after his stellar performance in the previous season. However, he did not stand up to his name.
In the 12 matches he played, he mostly came in as the opener and scored 182 runs. His highest was 50* with an average of 16.55. He has been added to the national side for the clash against South Africa at home.
(Photo: KKR)
9. Varun Chakravarthy - Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
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Called the 'mystery spinner', Varun Chakravarthy was retained by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) but the year 2022 was not in his favour.
In the 11 matches he got to play, he managed to take just 6 wickets and gave away 332 runs. His best figure was 1/22.
(Photo: Twitter)
10. Sunil Narine - Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
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Another 'mystery spinner' in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) camp is Sunil Narine. In IPL 2022, the scored 71 runs in 14 matches with his highest being 22 at an average of 8.88.
Talking about the bowling, he only managed to take nine wickets and gave away 312 runs with his best figures being 2/21.
(Photo: AFP)
