The Indian Premier League (IPL) has evolved a lot in the last 13 years. Earlier, the fans perceived that the batsmen had to hit the ball hard in T20 cricket right from ball one. However, as the seasons progressed, the likes of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Gautam Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan, and other great timers of the ball showed that six-hitting is an integral part of T20s, but it is not the only part of T20s.
While the above mentioned players dominated the bowlers with their running between the wickets and timely boundaries, even they did not leave a chance to clear the rope when they could. That said, some players have a rough patch going in their season, where they cannot realize their full potential. Forget about hitting the 30-runs mark, these players even struggle to hit a six in the season.
While judging a player after six or seven bad innings might not be correct, three players in the IPL history have batted in 11 or more innings in a singles season, and still not managed to hit a six. Here’s a look at those three names.
Glenn Maxwell
Six years ago, Glenn Maxwell was in the race to win the Orange Cap award. He could destroy any bowling attack that would take on him. The Big Show ended the season with 552 runs to his name at a strike rate of 187.75. The Aussie player smashed 48 fours and 36 sixes in just 16 matches.
However, in 2020, he looked like a shadow of his former self. A different stance and a lack of clarity over his role in the team did not allow Maxwell to destroy the bowlers in the UAE like he had done six years ago donning the KXIP jersey only. Maxwell managed only 108 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 101.88. He hit only nine boundaries and ended the season with no maximums.
Mandeep Singh
Glenn Maxwell’s current Kings XI Punjab teammate, Mandeep Singh had achieved this dubious feat in the year 2013. Incidentally, Mandeep was a part of the Mohali-based franchise in the 2013 season also. It is noteworthy that the Indian player had starred for them in the 2012 season, scoring 432 runs in 16 matches.
While his 2013 season was not so bad as Glenn Maxwell’s 2020, Mandeep scored 260 runs in 16 matches for the Punjab team. His strike rate was 116.59 as he smacked 36 fours and zero sixes.
Rajagopal Sathish
Rajagopal Sathish had the potential to become the next top all-rounder in the IPL. However, he never lived up to his potential despite receiving many opportunities. In the 2010 IPL season, Satish represented the Mumbai Indians, a team that finished runners-up in that edition of the IPL.
Sathish featured in the playing XI of MI in 12 matches, scoring 112 runs and picking up two wickets. While Satish scored 11 fours for the Mumbai-based franchise, he could not clear the boundary ropes even one time. He later played for the Kings XI Punjab and the Kolkata Knight Riders. He was a part of the VB Kanchi Veerans team in the 2019 Tamil Nadu Premier League.
