Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
As the IPL bonanza has already begun, fanatics cannot control their excitement after witnessing their favourite players at the grandest of T20 stages. Given that there is a plethora of international and high-paid cricketing stars who are a part of the tournament, it has often been the case that many quality players end up warming the benches and don't get any chance to showcase their talent throughout the tournament.
As the 14th edition of the cash-rich league becomes more exciting with each passing game, let’s take a look at those 5 players who are unlikely to get a chance in IPL 2021 to display their skills among the very best.
1. Jason Roy (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
The England hard-hitting batsman was acquired by Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 2 crore as a replacement for Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh. Known for his fierce strikes on top of the order, Jason Roy can be an asset for any team he is associated with. But as per the pattern followed by the side, Hyderabad have placed their immense trust in a handful of overseas players over the past years.
SRH are currently placed last in the IPL 2021 points table and it seems they are lacking big time in their batting department. Meanwhile, with Bairstow and Warner going good at the top, it doesn’t look like Jason Roy is likely to get a chance in this edition of IPL.
2. Karun Nair (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Considered to be one of the best finds of the IPL couple of editions ago, Karun Nair was acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of IPL 2021 auction for INR 50 lakh Although Nair has produced some terrific innings in his stint with Punjab Kings, inconsistency has been his biggest problem. Across the 73 IPL matches he has played so far, Nair has scored 1480 runs at an average of just over 24 runs.
Karun Nair usually bats in the middle order, while KKR’s middle order is firmly settled with the likes of Eoin Morgan and Dinesh Karthik. Although KKR are known to shuffle their batting order, the chances of Nair being part of those plans seem very unlikely.
3. Krishnappa Gowtham (Chennai Super Kings)
Over the years, Krishnappa Gowtham has played in IPL for multiple teams, trying to establish his position. Even though he was given enough chances in his initial days, Gowtham failed to make any significant impression.
However, in the IPL 2021 auction, Gowtham was bought for a staggering price of INR 9.25 crore. He could play the same role as Ravindra Jadeja does for CSK. However, with the form Jadeja has stepped into this edition of IPL, the chances of Gowtham getting an opportunity seem bleak.
4. Piyush Chawla (Mumbai Indians)
The veteran Indian spinner found his way back into the Mumbai Indians side for 2021 IPL after he was bought for INR 2.4 crore. But given the form Rahul Chahar is going through, Mumbai Indians would not want to look anywhere else beyond the young leggie.
Although Chawla could be used as a supporting bowler in MI's starting XI, decent performances from Jayant Yadav in the previous edition have placed him higher than the former player.
5. Sam Billings (Delhi Capitals)
The England wicketkeeper-batsman found his way out of Chennai Super Kings and got included into Delhi Capitals' squad for the 14th edition of IPL as he was bought for INR 2 crore. Knowing that Delhi Capitals have their skipper Rishabh Pant acquiring the field position of Billings, chances of the Englishman playing for DC are very small.
Talking about his batting performance, Billings hasn’t been the most impressive as he has scored 334 runs across 19 IPL innings. Moreover, DC have an abundance of overseas talent, who will be promoted ahead of Billings.
