IPL is a tournament, where even the best players in the world lose their places in the playing XI after a couple of bad performances. In IPL 2021, David Warner was dropped from the Sunrisers Hyderabad playing XI for his flop show in some matches even though he had been the team’s biggest match-winner in the seasons before that.
Currently, the Lucknow Super Giants have benched a world-class wicket-keeper batter like Quinton de Kock, while former England captain Joe Root is warming the benches at the Rajasthan Royals.
There are many such examples of big names being left out of the playing XI, but at the same time, there have also been some instances of IPL teams backing some players a lot despite their disappointing performances. Here’s a list of three such players.
1. Mithun Manhas
Former Indian domestic cricketer Mithun Manhas played 55 matches during his career for the Chennai Super Kings, Pune Warriors and Delhi Capitals. It is tough for any player to receive a place in the playing XI 55 times in the Indian Premier League.
Manhas scored 514 runs in those 55 games, with his strike rate being less than 110. His average was 22, while highest score was 42*. He bowled eight overs and did not take any wickets.
2. Rajasthan Royals have backed Riyan Parag a lot in IPL
Riyan Parag made his debut for Rajasthan Royals in 2019. He has played 52 matches in the league, scoring 576 runs at an average of 16.46. His strike rate is below 125, while he has managed only four wickets at an economy rate of more than 10 runs per over.
3. Akshdeep Nath received a lot of backing from RCB and Gujarat Lions
Uncapped batter Akshdeep Nath played 14 matches in his career for RCB, Gujarat Lions and Punjab Kings. He played the highest number of matches for RCB (8). Nath scored 90 runs in his career at an average of 9 and a strike rate of 91.84.
