Biggest flops of IPL 2012

Feroz Khan

The IPL 2012 season has thrown up some sensational performances that had the viewers biting their nails in disbelief. However, the slam-bang version of gentleman’s game isn’t just about the hits and the stars. It is true that a lone match turning performance in T20 cricket can propel one to limelight in no time. But, the opposite is also true. We at Zeenews.com take a look at some of the biggest flops of the latest season. Yusuf Pathan 37-ball centurion, Yusuf Pathan was bought for a whooping USD 10 million by KKR and is yet to justify the price tag he came with. Last season his highest score was 47* and this season 40*. The latter, however, came in a crucial match against Delhi Daredevils but apart from that it has been a failed season when compared to his reputation. In 17 matches he has scored 194 runs at an average of 21. Harbhajan Singh Sachin Tendulkar handed over the reins of Mumbai Indians to Harbhajan Singh to get rid of the extra pressure and concentrate on his batting. The off-spinner did make headlines but not for puzzling the batsmen or captaincy. He was in the news for arguing with umpires and poor bowling performance. He took just six wickets in the 17 matches he played for MI this season at an economy rate of 7.11 Sourav Ganguly It was for the former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly that Pune Warriors was one of the most talked about team of the Indian Premier League. His much hyped encounter with KKR at Eden Gardens was one of the most anticipated events. But that was it. The lefty scored 268 runs with a highest score of 45 in 15. Michael Clarke The Australian captain has already taken retirement from T20I and decided to participate in IPL 2012 after avoiding it for the past four seasons. He played for Pune Warriors but could only managed 100 runs in six outings. His scored runs at a poor average of 16 and his strike rate stood at 105.26. Kumar Sangakkara Kumar Sangakkara, the captain of the tournament laggards Deccan Chargers, had a forgettable outing with the bat this season. In 12 matches for Deccan, he scored 200 runs at an average of 18. He did manage to score a 50 but largely like his team’s campaign, it turned out to be a flop show from the Sri Lankan. Brendon McCullum Brendon McCullum comes with a reputation of a big hitter of the cricket ball. He justified his reputation by setting ablaze the IPL stage in its first year of existence by slamming a century in the inaugural match. Since then, the Kiwi has been largely an average performer and the current has been no different. In the 12 matches that played so far for KKR, he has scored 289 runs at an average of 24. Daniel Vettori RCB captain Daniel Vettori had an ordinary season. His last season was a lot better than the current when he grabbed 12 wickets in 13 matches. It was because of Muttiah Muralitharan’s superior form that the Kiwi opted out of few matches. In nine matches this season he took five wickets. Ross Taylor Delhi Daredevils’ Ross Taylor came into the tournament after recovering from an injury. He was supposed to strengthen the middle order but his form eluded him throughout the tournament barring one game when he scored a fifty. He featured for Delhi in 12 matches scoring 197 runs at a poor average of 19.