3 Instances when IPL teams fielded only 2 overseas players in the playing XI

There are records made and broken every now and then at the Indian Premier League, and then there are some instances that are rarely seen occurring at the cash-rich event. One such instance is the teams fielding limited foreign players than the number permitted. An IPL team can, at the most, play four overseas players in a game, but there have been rare times when the team doesn’t utilize their full overseas strength. Here are the only three instances when IPL teams fielded only two overseas players in the playing XI:

1. Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings, 2011

The first match of the IPL 2011 witnessed the Kolkata Knight Riders playing only two overseas players – Jacques Kallis and Eion Morgan. The game was Gautam Gambhir’s debut game as a captain, for KKR, as he decided to field just two overseas players. They lost that game against the then-defending champions Chennai Super Kings.

2. Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians, 2022

The Rishabh Pant-led Delhi fielded only Tim Seifert and Rovman Powell against Mumbai Indians in the second match of the current edition, as the team lacked their key overseas player. Players like David Warner and Anrich Nortje were not available for the side and DC was forced to play nine Indian players. They eventually won the match as Kuldeep Yadav’s three-wicket haul and blistering knocks by Lalit Yadav and Axar Patel helped the team sail past MI.

3. Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 2022

The third instance of a team playing only two overseas players also occurred in the current season as Mumbai Indians decided to have only Dewald Brevis and Kieron Pollard as their overseas options against RCB, replacing the remaining two spots with Indian players. But their strategy failed as they lost their fourth game in succession.