While IPL 2023 saw some memorable moments and stunning highs, there were also some forgettable performances by teams and players alike.
This year's competition marked a breakthrough for several up-and-coming stars, while some of the more familiar IPL names once again stole the headlines with their batting and bowling displays.
Not everyone enjoyed the Indian Premier League quite as much, though. Whether it was big-money disasters or franchises who suffered another barren year, there are those who will be keen to quickly consign the 2023 season to memory.
Here we round up the biggest disappointments.
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Sam Curran (PBKS)
Sam Curran, the ‘ICC Player of the Tournament’ in the 2022 T20 World Cup, was bought by the Punjab Kings for a staggering price of 18.5 crs in the IPL auction last year. But the England man didn't quite live up to the expectations. In his 14 matches he managed to pick up just 10 wickets at an economy rate of 10.22.
Ben Stokes (CSK)
Ben Stokes was Chennai Super Kings' costliest buy in the auction, but only played two games before being sidelined due to a toe injury for almost a month. Even if he was fit, he wouldn't find a place in the playing 11 considering the stellar performances other overseas players have put up. Stokes left for England before the playoffs to prepare for the Ashes.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Rock-bottom Sunrisers Hyderabad have now finished in last place twice in three years and they failed to get past the league stage for the third time straight in the IPL. While they came into the season looking poised along with a new captain, Aiden Markram, the underperformance of their biggest buy, Harry Brook, and their underuse of lethal pacer Umran Malik was a big part of their downfall. Apart from consistent performances by Heinrich Klaasen and Mayank Markande, the rest of the unit did not have much to contribute.
Harry Brook (SRH)
Harry Brook, touted to be England’s future batting superstar, was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for 13.25 cr after a sensational run of Test form that saw him score four hundreds in six Tests. Brook didn't quite find his rhythm in the first few games for SRH but went on to score a scintillating century against Kolkata Knight Riders. However, barring that performance, he had just 90 runs from the other 10 games — something that pushed the SRH management to drop him for three matches.
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Royal Challengers Bangalore
While the Royal Challengers Bangalore scored more than 180 runs in nine games and had their top three batsmen— Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell — in top form, their middle order underperformed and added just 733 runs out of the 2,502 total team runs scored across 14 games. In terms of their bowling attack, apart from Mohammed Siraj, no other bowler consistently picked up wickets as RCB failed to deliver on their potential.
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Prithvi Shaw
At the beginning of the IPL 2023, Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting made a bold prediction on how Prithvi Shaw's season would go: "This will be Shaw’s breakthrough season," said the Australian. He was emphatically wrong. Apart from a single half century, Shaw was nowhere close to runs this season. As an opener, he collected only 106 runs and was a huge disappointment.
