The IPL 2022 retention list was on expected lines after several eye-catching performances last year in the United Arab Emirates. But little did the franchises know that their crores of investments might backfire with little in return.
With the T20 World Cup coming in a few months’ time, the IPL 2022 is a perfect platform to hone their skills and keep the selectors on their toes ahead of the mega event. Instead, the likes of Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Venkatesh Iyer turned out to be the biggest flops so far in the tournament.
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Then there are unlucky few, who have picked up injuries at the most inopportune moment. Prominent among them are Deepak Chahar and Mark Wood, both big buys at the IPL 2022 mega auction.
Let’s take a look at some of the underperformers in IPL 2022 despite making big money:
Rohit Sharma – MI (Retained, INR 16 Crore)
A five-time IPL-winning captain with more than 5500 tournament runs, Rohit Sharma’s form in IPL 2022 hasn’t gone as he would have expected. After his 41 against Delhi Capitals in Mumbai Indians’ season opener, Rohit Sharma managed 10, 3, 26, 28, 6 and 0 to add more woes to the franchise’s dismal seven-game winless run in the ongoing season. With seven games still left in the tournament, Rohit Sharma will hope his bat to do the talking as well as bring some positive results for Mumbai Indians too.
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Ishan Kishan – MI (Bought for INR 15.25 Crore)
After having loads of cash splurged on him during the IPL auction 2022 earlier this year, Ishan Kishan’s form with the bat has been highly questionable. Kishan made a strong start to IPL 2022 with 81 not out and 54 in the first two matches. However, his scores of 14, 26, 3, 13 and 0 since then, have left critics questioning whether the weight of a hefty price tag of INR 15.25 crore is weighing down the left-handed batters' attacking nature of play.
Venkatesh Iyer - KKR (Retained, INR 8 Crore)
Venkatesh Iyer came out of nowhere in the UAE last year during the Middle East leg of IPL 2021 and took the tournament by storm. Iyer’s ability to take on any world-class bowling attack impressed many. His 370 runs from 10 innings last year fast-tracked him to the Indian senior team before he was retained by the two-time IPL champions for INR 8 crore. However, the Indore lad failed to live up to the expectations in the ongoing IPL 2022 with just 109 runs in seven matches, having been dismissed inside the powerplay four times. Barring his 50 not out against Mumbai Indians, Iyer hasn’t been able to cross the 20-mark in either of his six other matches.
Ruturaj Gaikwad – CSK (Retained, INR 6 Crore)
Like Venkatesh Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad formed the backbone of Chennai Super Kings batting at the top of the order in IPL 2021. The ‘Orange Cap’ winner last year, retaining Ruturaj was an obvious choice for the CSK management. But to everyone’s surprise, the right-hander from Madhya Pradesh has been able to accumulate only 108 runs from seven games so far this season. Save his 73 against Gujarat Titans, Ruturaj’s scores read 0, 1, 1, 16, 17 and 0. His inability to provide crucial starts as an opener have hurt CSK in IPL 2022 as the four-time champions have lost five out of their seven games and are at the ninth spot.
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Kieron Pollard – MI (Retained 6 Crore)
Kieron Pollard is not the same match-winner as he used to be. Known as one of the hard-hitting all-rounders in world cricket, Pollard has delivered when it mattered for Mumbai Indians before in the IPL. In the ongoing IPL 2022, the former West Indies captain's campaign has been a dampener. In the seven games, Mumbai Indians have played so far, Pollard could manage just 96 runs and picked one wicket. With MI losing all their seven games in IPL 2022 so far, it’s high time MI should look beyond Pollard and try Tim David who is coming after a great Pakistan Super League.
