JOIN USThere was no dearth of entertainment in the seventh edition of the Indian Premier League, with players dishing out high-octane action for 46 days across UAE and India while turning out for eight teams.
Here is a look at some of them who entertained us and some others who surprised us with failures.
Success Stories
ROBIN UTHAPPA (KKR)
After mixed results in the middle-order, Uthappa took the IPL-7 by storm stacking up runs once he was relocated to the opening slot. The right-hander didn’t dip below 40 in the last 10 games before the final and his aggregate of 660 runs not only earned him the Orange Cap for most runs by a batsman but also played a great role in KKR’s revival. He was also more than handy behind the wicket.M: 16; R: 660; Ave: 44; SR: 137.78; C & S: 8.
AKSHAR PATEL (KXIP)
The left-arm spinning bowling all-rounder deservedly won the Emerging Player award of IPL-7 where he stood out with his miserly spells and wicket-taking abilities. The Gujarat player, who had a productive domestic season both with the bat and the ball, gave away just 5.25 runs an over in the final when every other bowler went above 10. M: 17: W: 17; Ave: 23.82; ER: 6.13.
SUNIL NARINE (KKR)
Dubbed the mystery spinner, the wily West Indian remained an enigma even for the most destructive of batsmen despite this season being his third outing. Just like the previous two editions, he was extremely miserly (6.35) and picked up wickets at crucial junctures to assert his status as skipper Gautam Gambhir’s bowling trumpcard.M: 16; W: 21; Ave: 19.38; ER: 6.35.
MOHIT SHARMA (CSK)
After impressing in his debut season last year for CSK with 20 wickets that prompted the franchise to buy him back, Mohit repaid the trust by scalping 23 sticks to bag the Purple Cap this year. The biggest strength of the Haryana pacer is his accuracy, relying largely on the old mantra -- You miss, I hit. And, he did it often. M: 16; W: 23; Ave: 19.65; ER: 8.39.
GLENN MAXWELL (KXIP)
Despite going cold in the latter stages of the IPL, the Australian was a dominant presence. Having moved to Punjab from Mumbai this season, he toyed with bowling units and his ferocious hitting had a huge role in Kings XI’s relentless march in the league phase that culminated with their first-ever appearance in an IPL final. M: 17; R: 552; Avg: 34.50; SR: 187.75.
SURESH RAINA (CSK)
The left-hander could easily be termed as Mr IPL. He has tallied more than 400 runs in six successive editions of the event dating back to 2009, and his consistency has played a huge role in CSK’s good run. After a stuttering beginning in the UAE, Raina found his rhythm once the tournament shifted to India. M: 16; R: 523; Avg: 40.23; SR: 40.23.
The Letdowns
KEVIN PIETERSEN (DD)
The former England batsman, relieved of national duties, was expected to herald a new beginning for Daredevils who went for the overhaul of the team after finishing at the bottom of the heap in 2013. Pietersen, who missed the first three games with a finger injury, couldn’t bring about change in fortunes. His batting returns were meagre and, as a captain, he couldn’t get his top players to deliver to their potential as DD ended with wooden spoon again. M: 11; R: 294; Ave: 29.80; SR: 126.18
MOHAMMAD SHAMI (DD)
The India medium pacer was bought after some fierce bidding by the Delhi franchise but Shami didn’t quite measure up to their expectations. He was profligate and couldn’t provide the breakthroughs as a strike bowler. He was one of biggest let-downs for Delhi and his seven wickets in 12 matches reflected team’s unending woes.M: 12; W: 7; Ave: 52.71; ER: 8.38
YUVRAJ SINGH (RCB)
Purchased for an eye-popping Rs 14 crore despite his waning destructiveness, expectations placed on the southpaw was high. Barring three strong shows, one of India’s biggest match-winners largely struggled to impose himself, just like his star-studded side struggled for consistency for most of the tournament.Batting: M: 14; R: 376; Ave: 34.18; SR: 135.25; C: 4.Bowling: W: 5; Ave: 37.40; ER: 8.25.
KIERON POLLARD (MI)
A game-changer with his thumping hits lower down the order, MI sorely missed his fireworks. A handy bowler generally, Pollard missed the mark with the ball too. His electrifying fielding was the sole sparkler in an otherwise ordinary outing.Batting: M: 15; R: 272; Ave: 34.12; SR: 134.48; C: 7.Bowling: W: 2; Ave: 131.00; ER: 10.48.
CHRIS GAYLE (RCB)
The Jamaican was expected to steamroll rivals. But the ‘Gayle Storm’ never lashed the shores of UAE or India. After missing out the first four matches due to a back injury, Gayle struggled for flow for the rest of the tournament, severely hampering the progress of RCB. M: 9. R: 196, Avg: 21.77; SR: 106.52.
DALE STEYN (SRH)
World’s best fast bowler was carted around the park like an amateur. AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni and Yusuf Pathan, all had immense success agianst him this year. He had a few moments, but never really managed to contain or fire out the opposition. M: 14; W: 11, Avg: 39.18; SR: 7.69.