IPL 2026: Benched to Lacklustre Performances, Expensive Players Who Went Blank in League Stage

While many players have failed to live up to expectations, some others have not been given an opportunity by their teams

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is in the playoffs, with mid-table teams making a comeback, whereas top-table teams are going through a downfall. There are multiple reasons for such chaos, but one important factor is the weight of price tags, which has led to underperformance by several big names in the league. On the other hand, teams themselves have made mistakes by not giving opportunities to credible names despite paying crores for them, only to keep them benched.

Matheesha Pathirana

Worth INR 18 crore, the Sri Lankan missed several matches for KKR at the beginning of the season due to injury. However, after joining the team, Pathirana is still benched despite KKR losing matches. According to the team, they wish to keep the current combination intact, even though Pathirana is known for his wicket-taking abilities.

Nicholas Pooran

Nicholas Pooran’s downfall has been a shocker for many. Worth INR 21 crore, he has so far made only 184 runs in 11 IPL matches. He is one of the major reasons behind LSG’s exit from the tournament. When Pooran retired from international cricket, he said he wanted to focus more on domestic cricket, but it seems those words have come back to haunt him.

Cameron Green

Another KKR player, Cameron Green, has found some of his form back in the last few games, but his overall performance isn’t commensurate with his INR 25 crore price tag. So far, his output is 264 runs in 11 innings and 4 wickets, with an expensive 11.79 economy.

Rishabh Pant

An average of 27.89 and a strike rate of 138.67, coupled with poor captaincy, Rishabh Pant did not do justice to his price tag last year, and the story has remained the same this year as well. In 11 matches, Pant has scored only 251 runs, and his highest score of the season stands at 68 runs.

Tejasvi Dahiya

Another name in the KKR outfit, with a price tag of INR 3 crore, is considered expensive for an uncapped young player. However, despite proving his worth in other domestic T20 tournaments, Dahiya has not been allowed to play a single game in the purple jersey this season. For the record, he was trained under Sanjay Bhardwaj, the man who groomed the likes of Gambhir, Pant, Nitish Rana, and Priyansh Arya.

Overall, this IPL has witnessed a long list of players who have either failed to justify their price tags or have not been given opportunities by their teams.

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