The four teams not only have been inconsistent but the firepower they have in their ranks makes it baffling as to why they have struggled all over © IANS
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015 is more than half complete and by the look of things, few teams are forced to approach their remaining matches in ‘do-or-die’ mode. Devarchit Varma tries to find out why things have gone awry for them in IPL 8.
Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), Delhi Daredevils (DD), Mumbai Indians (MI) and even Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015 edition have been far off from the promise they tend on paper, as they reside at the bottom of the points table. They have not only been inconsistent, but the firepower they have in their ranks makes it baffling as to why they have struggled all over. The teams have misfired, sneaked in with a few wins here and there but nowhere close to being a force they can be reckoned with. Read: Glenn Maxwell: The fine thread between glory and fury
Major teams in IPL 8 have excellent sides, as they have managed to put together a right mix of Indian youth, foreign expertise and richly talented coaching staff. However, all these do not promise success because cricket at the end of the day is a team game and the sides at the bottom of IPL 8 points table have not played as a unit. Let’s take a look:
Kings XI Punjab (KXIP): The runners-up of IPL 2014 are languishing at the bottom of the table and the reason is simple: their batsmen have failed collectively. There have been sparks of brilliance here and there but in general KXIP have paid the price because their batting line-up has not performed as a unit. KXIP fans would jump the gun to point out the poor form of Glenn Maxwell and hold him responsible, but the fact that none of their batsmen are there in the top 10, proves that they have been a colossal failure with the bat. Anureet Singh and Sandeep Sharma have been impressive in the bowling department but KXIP have not performed as a unit and thus they face exit after the first round of IPL 8. Read: Kolkata Knight Riders suffering as batsmen are unable to provide finishing touch
Delhi Daredevils (DD): The IPL 2015 campaign for the JP Duminy-led side was more based on getting the act together for the DD rather than winning. The team was refurbished in the IPL 2015 auction and automatically the ghost of not winning a single home match for two long years came upon the players, who were yet to play their first match, as the squad felt the soaring pressure. Matters became worse when they started off with a couple of losses, and after four wins and five losses in nine games, it seems like this is the best they can offer. In the batting department, apart from the opening pair of Mayank Agarwal and Shreyas Iyer and the trustable skipper Duminy, Delhi have been found wanting. The bowlers have done well but the story remains the same: Delhi aren’t playing consistently as a unit and this might hurt them going ahead. Read: Irfan Pathan will lend Chennai Super Kings depth and stability
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH): The fact that SRH have an opening pair comprising David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan should make the opposition shiver, but Warner has been the only bright spot for them. Dhawan has been on and off and there have been no noticeable performances in the remainder of their batting. The bowling department is good enough to destroy the opposition ranks, but the struggles of Dale Steyn and the others have put tremendous pressure on Trent Boult. SRH have been consistently disappointing and they need to get their act together before it is too late. Read: Why Sunrisers Hyderabad are not playing Kane Williamson?
Mumbai Indians (MI): For MI, there are plenty of problems. They have numerous coaching staff and as a result, the team in general might be lacking direction. They have tremendous firepower on paper but the failure of the lower middle-order and occasional sparks have not done any good. Lasith Malinga and Mitchell McClenaghan have done really well to be among the top performers for MI in IPL 2015 and Rohit Sharma has been their star performer with the bat. In the earlier stages of the tournament, MI were choking with the bat more often than not but they have bounced back well to win four out of their last five games. There are five more matches left in the first round and Mumbai Indians have a humongous challenge in front of them to rise from the second last spot and barge into the top four. Read: A Yusuf Pathan ton watched by mistake
(Devarchit Varma is a reporter with CricketCountry. He can be followed on Twitter @Devarchit)