Most under-utilised cricketers in IPL history

In the league’s history, there are star players who have not been utilized in as many IPL games as they would have liked because of certain constraints. They range from the 4 foreign player policy, poor selections from the captains, poor form of the players and players being used out of their natural batting positions. These players can be categorized as the most under-utilized players. For all their talent, these cricketers never got enough support from the teams they represented.

4. Eoin Morgan

England’s World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan has not performed as well in the cash-rich league as he would have. He has not been as consistent as he would have liked, with 990 runs in 49 innings at a strike rate of just a shade under 125. Franchises like Bangalore and Punjab did not give him an extended run, and he ended up underperforming in the limited opportunities he got. His captaincy skills would have been an added bonus for both the franchises, who have not won a single IPL yet.

3. Kane Williamson

One of the modern-day greats, and a member of the elite “Fab 4”, Williamson led New Zealand to the World Cup finals last year. He is the backbone of the Blackcaps batting line-up across all formats. Kane has been majorly underused in Sunrisers Hyderabad, considering the overseas balance the squad has to maintain. He could only play 6 games in 2019, after winning the Orange Cap in 2018 and taking Hyderabad to the finals under his captaincy in the absence of David Warner.

2. George Bailey

Former Australia limited-overs captain has been one of the most under-utilised players in the history of the league. He led KXIP to the finals in 2014. He wasn’t, however, able to create a significant impact with the bat in the IPL, with 663 runs in 37 innings at a strike rate of 122. A major reason for his inconsistency was that he was used as a floater in the batting order.

1. Tilakaratne Dilshan

Former Sri Lankan opener Dilshan was famously known for his shot ‘Dilscoop’. He played for Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League in 52 games from 2008 to 2013. He was not his usual aggressive self, scoring 1153 at a paltry strike-rate of 114. The major reason for his underperformance in the cash-laden league is he opened only 25 times in the 50 innings. He often had to bat out of his natural position, which quite obviously affected his approach and intent.