IPL 2020: One player which each team failed to make the most of

The IPL witnesses an exciting finish every year, and this time is no different. Every team has fought tooth and nail and tried to win each game. Most of the teams have tried to maximise the potential of most of their players in order to create a winning unit. While franchises have managed to do that with most players, there are a few players who haven’t been used properly by their teams. This is a list of one player from each team who wasn’t used properly in this year’s IPL.

RCB – Moeen Ali

Moeen Ali was the lone star in RCB’s campaign last year. He had scored 220 runs at a SR of 166 and even picked up 6 wickets. This year, for some reason, RCB has grossly underused Moeen. He could have been the perfect pinch hitter for them in the middle order. His ability to smash spinners would have come of great use. In addition to that he also provides the extra option of a spinner. But surprisingly, Ali played just 2 games this year.

RR – Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler is perhaps the best T20 batsman going around. His range and ability to hit shots all around the ground are incredible. While he can play at any position, his performance as an opener in the last 3 years has been phenomenal. Hence, it has been surprising RR have not backed him at the role he’s been the best at. And ironically, it was at Rajasthan that Buttler’s real prowess as an opener was discovered. It is often said, you shouldn’t weaken your strength to strengthen your weakness. Buttler should have been the first-choice opener and a team should have been built around him. They have missed Buttler’s massive innings at the top in a lot of games.

KKR – Dinesh Karthik

Thank You @DineshKarthik ? Hope You’ll Attack Like Anything #KKRHaiTaiyaar #Dream11IPL pic.twitter.com/iWwtg8KxOl

— ??? ???? ?????? (@KKRFansTrends) October 16, 2020

It has been established in the last couple of years that Dinesh is one of the best finishers going around. Despite that, while being captain himself and then majorly under Eoin Morgan’s captaincy, DK has batted at 4 instead of an ideal 6. The numbers are there for everyone to see. He has batted at number 4 in 4 innings and managed just 7 runs. In two innings at 6, he’s accumulated 50 of just 24 balls. Had KKR used DK as a finisher through the tournament, it could have been a completely different story for them. Their obsession with having a flexible batting line up has led to their own doom.

DC – Shimron Hetmyer

Hetmyer has scored 115 runs at a SR of 160 coming in at numbers 5 and 6. The carnage he would have done coming in at 3 is unimaginable. Hetmyer has always been a top order batsman but got just a couple of innings at the top and has mostly been used as a finisher. DC have highly underused Hemtyer’s potential. They just need to have a look at Nicholas Pooran in KXIP, who got the opportunity at number 4, and has 350 runs at a SR of 173. Delhi clearly seem to be lacking the aggression currently, and perhaps going forward in the next season, they do utilise Hetmyer a lot better.

MI – James Pattinson

MI has always been a team which utilizes their resources to the fullest. That has also been one of the reasons they have been so successful. They have lived up to that reputation this year as well. However, one player they could have used slightly better is James Pattinson. He initially started as a new ball bowler then became the first change bowler. It is his first IPL, and he hasn’t played an immense amount of high level, competitive T20 cricket. So giving him a defined role would have perhaps boded better for him and the team as well. Also, dropping him midway to accommodate Nathan Coulter Nile wasn’t the best option, since it seems to have broken Pattinson’s rhythm.

CSK – Lungi Ngidi

One of the main reasons CSK has struggled this year is because of the lack of wicket taking bowlers. They played too many one-dimensional bowlers right through the tournament. Lungi Ngidi did a fine job for them in 2018, picking 11 wickets. But he has barely played this year. He has proven to be quite good at the death, and while he was expensive in the couple of games he played early on, he continued to take wickets. CSK should have definitely played him a lot more, and used him in a role better suited for him.

KXIP – Chris Jordan

Chris Jordan has been one of the top most death bowlers in T20 in the last few years. While he went for a lot of runs in the first game, he was never really backed in the initial games, despite KXIP not possessing an established death bowler. In the last 5 games Jordan has shown his quality as he has managed to pick up 8 wickets. Had KXIP backed Jordan in the initial games, and used him purely in the death like they have recently, they could have won the couple of games they lost by a small margin and would have perhaps comfortably been in the playoffs.

SRH – Mohammad Nabi

Imran Tahir: CSK
Mohammad Nabi: SRH.

2 cricketer of high pedigree not playing because of combination reasons.

Nabi is a hard hitting, shrewd batsman & an economical, wily bowler. The No.1 T20I all rounder in red hot form. Picked 12 CPL wkts at Eco: 5.1 with 3 MOMs. Quality guy.

— Srini Mama (@SriniMaama16) October 22, 2020

Mohammad Nabi is arguably one of the greatest T20 finishers in recent times. He has played all around the world including the BBL, and hence it is surprising SRH haven’t bothered to utilise his services much. He has played a single game this season and didn’t do too badly. His presence would have added a lot more meat to their middle-order which has looked extremely weak this year and also provided them with a reliable bowling option. Hence, Nabi was definitely not used properly by SRH.