The 2020 IPL season like every other season saw the imminent rise lesser-known players and the downfall of few of the big names in international cricket. We saw the resurgence of Royal Challengers Bangalore while we also witnessed the downfall of Chennai Super Kings who have by far been one of the most successful IPL franchises in history.
Talking about the players from these franchises, big names like Aaron Finch, MS Dhoni failed to get going in the two-month-long cash-rich league. The likes of Devdutt Padikkal and Varun Chakravarthy went on to make it big but likewise the other players as we mentioned just failed to kickstart things like they’ve always been doing.
With the 2021 IPL season due in just a few months time, we thought why not take a look at five such players who have the potential to become a hit in the upcoming season after horrendously flopping in the preceding 2020 season.
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Let’s Take A Look At The 5 Flops Of IPL 2020 Who Could Be Hits In 2021:
5. Steve Smith
The skipper of the Rajasthan Royals hadn’t fared well in the entire 2020 IPL season. There were few innings here and there where he showed resilience in his knock but rather those selective innings, Smith hardly got going in the season. Moreover, the burden of captaincy on his shoulders also didn’t smudge him enough as Rajasthan Royals finished last in the points table just below the Chennai Super Kings.
In the 14 matches Smith played in the season, the Aussie could manage just 311 runs at an average of 25.91 with included just three fifties. With the 2021 season, there are rumours going around that Rajasthan Royals might just look to replace Smith as the captain of the side so the latter can focus more on his batting.
There aren’t many options available but if it’s all said and done then we can expect Smith to play more freely without the burden of captaincy on his head.
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4. Glenn Maxwell
It’s very difficult to digest the fact that Glenn Maxwell finished the 2020 IPL season playing 13 matches without hitting a single six. The Kings XI Punjab management had picked Maxwell to bat down the order and help them finish matches off in style but Maxwell turned out to be the biggest disappointment for the franchise as he failed to finish any match for the side.
The KXIP Team management led by former India captain Anil Kumble gave Maxwell an extended run of 13 matches but the Aussie man just couldn’t help his low patch. Maxwell managed to score merely 108 runs in 13 matches at a shocking average of 15.42.
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But as soon as the IPL was over, Maxwell was soon seen featuring in the Limited overs series against India in Australia where we just saw a completely different Maxwell set off. In three ODIs, Maxwell scored 167 runs at a staggering average of 83, his tally of runs was more than the combine runs he scored in the entire season of the 2020 IPL season.
Now by the looks of the Kings XI Punjab management can look to do two things, either release Maxwell and look for a replacement player or just stick with the attacking batsman from Australia expecting him to deliver in crunch situations for the franchise going forward. What holds key to either of the things is if KXIP decides to retain Maxwell ahead of the 2021 IPL Auctions.
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3. Aaron Finch
Australia’s limited-overs skipper Aaron Finch has had an IPL to forget and now he’s having a BBL to forget. In the 2020 IPL auction, Finch was bought for a whopping Rs. 4.40 crores as Mike Hesson hoped that Finch would solve RCB’s opening woes but it turned out to be the exact opposite of their hopes as Finch just managed 236 runs in 11 matches which included just one fifty.
Whereas in the Big Bash League, Finch captaining the Melbourne Renegades is having a disastrous season like last year. This year they have won just 2 matches out of the 9 they’ve played this season in which Finch’s poor form has added more worries as he’s just scored 146 runs in 9 matches at an extremely poor average of just 18.25.
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Just like Maxwell, Finch too showed a different character while playing for Australia in the series against India where he was the highest run-scorer in the ODI series with 249 runs in three matches at an average of 83 which included two hundred.
It is still unsure whether RCB is likely to retain Finch ahead of the 2021 season as they’ve already spent a lot on the batsman in which he’s failed to deliver. If in case Finch is released, he might just end up playing for another franchise like Rajasthan Royals or Chennai Super Kings where he’d be a perfect fit.
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2. Rishabh Pant
The young keeper-batsman from Delhi who is touted as MS Dhoni’s replacement has had a lean form in the 2020 IPL season for the Delhi Capitals franchise. Moreover, his strike rate dropped from 162 to 109 which clearly shows the batsman has struggled left and right. It is also the first time since 2016 that Rishabh Pant finished the tournament without a single fifty as his highest score this season has been just 38.
Now we know for a fact that Delhi Capitals will surely retain Pant for the 2021 season which is why let’s expect the youngster to come back strong. In the ongoing Test series against Australia, Pant has created a special record where he became the first visiting player to score 25+ in nine consecutive innings in Australia.
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1. Andre Russell
The destructive all-rounder from the Caribbean who is arguably one of the most dangerous T20 batsmen in the World didn’t really have the most ideal seasons for the KKR. He struggled through form and injuries resulting in a poor show this year. Russell finished the season with just 117 runs at a shocking average of just 13 with 6 wickets to his name.
It is expected that Russell will be retained by Kolkata Knight Riders going into the 2021 season. With that being said, Andre Russell will also turn up for the Northern Warriors franchise in the T10 Abu Dhabi League where he is expected to hit the long ball multiple times. Perhaps his form in the T10 league would go on to determine how Russell would fare in the 2021 IPL season.
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