The last leg for some IPL players It’s cricket season again and the fever is catching up across the country. Teams are getting ready for the game and fans are equally getting ready to spectate and cheer on their favorite team. The 23rd of March has been marked on many calendars as it marks the beginning of the season.
As the momentum builds, it’s worth taking note that some star players will most likely be seeing the pitch in this context for the last time. Several players have been will be playing their last season after a long and successful career in the game; time to hang the boots. Let’s have a look at some of these players’ profiles and their performance:
Kerion Pollard, It will be mixed reactions towards this player’s exit. He is loved by both fans and the management at Mumbai Indians but has lost his glow in the game. His below average performance in the last couple of editions has disappointed fans and equally made him a liability to the team. He is no longer giving those powerful hits, and neither is he as good as he used to be at bowling. His underperformance caused him to be featured in a limited number of games during which he only managed to 133 runs despite exceptional opportunities that presented themselves. He has also only managed to pick up 5 wickets in the last five seasons which averages in one wicket per season. This is in total contrast to his early days as a recognized cricket star.
Chris Gayle The Kings XI Punjab player is notably one of the players with the best hitting skills in the history of the league which will be celebrating its 11th anniversary this year. In his cricketing career, the Jamaican national has shown great strength and started his career at Kolkata Knight Riders before moving to RCB 8 years ago. He has a total of 292 sixes in 11 years which tops the list in the history of the ILP. The forty-year-old has had his fair share of success at the game and will probably be taking on a lower profile of the same.
Imran Tahir Chennai Super Kings will have to let go of this player who became a force to reckon with after his stunning performance in 2017 for the Rising Pune Supergiant which has since become defunct. He managed to scalp 8 wickets in twelve games which were quite impressive at an economy of 7.85. He has however failed to maintain this level of performance which is credited for the bargain made for him by the Chennai Super Kings at the 2018 auctions. His economy is no longer impressive, and dusk is seemingly settling down on his career, which gives very strong indications that this may well be his last season.
Harbhajan Singh Another Chennai Super Kings star who has had his fair share of the limelight in the IPL. His deteriorating performance at the game already compromised him once just before joining Chennai Super Kings. Mumbai Indians were forced to drop the player after his seemingly decreasing power when handling the ball. He has picked up a mere 24 wickets in 38 matches during the last two years and conceded runs at an economy rate that is very close to 8 which is very uncharacteristic of the player.
Gautam Gambhir This player’s fate hangs more in the balance and his future may well depend on his performance this season. He has scored a mere 85 runs in six games during the 2018 season for the Delhi Daredevils at a mediocre strike rate of 97. Though still within the perceived age range for good performance on the pitch, he really needs to pull up his socks to retain his position at the team or play for another in the 2020 IPL.
Well, don’t miss the live action starting from 23rd March 2019. If you are living in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Europe, South America or South East Asia you get to watch the IPL 2019 online at your home comfort. Just subscribe to YuppTV and start watching the live cricketing action