3 current Indian T20I regulars who have disappointed so far in IPL 2023
Team India haven't set the world alight in the T20I format over the last few years.
Although the Men in Blue have been quite consistent in bilateral T20I series, they've been found wanting on the big stage, the T20 World Cup. Their last two campaigns in the marquee ICC event have been hugely underwhelming, and it's safe to say that they need an overhaul in the shortest format.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has served as the perfect stepping stone for several players to improve their T20 game and contribute at the international level. The ongoing season, though, has seen a few big names have indifferent individual campaigns.
Here are three current Indian T20I regulars who have disappointed so far in IPL 2023.
#3 Hardik Pandya | GT
The Gujarat Titans (GT) are sitting pretty at the top of the IPL 2023 standings. With eight wins from 11 matches, they have essentially already qualified for the playoffs and are primed to finish in the top two once again.
GT captain Hardik Pandya, though, hasn't been at his best this season. He seems to be finding his feet with the bat, having notched up scores of 59*, 39* and 25 in his last three innings, but has often struggled to up the ante. The all-rounder hasn't been effective with the ball either and has only three wickets to his name.
Pandya has batted at either No. 3 or No. 4 this year, and whether those are his ideal positions remains to be seen. He has been earmarked as the man to take over from Rohit Sharma in the T20I format, but India will want better performances from their main man.
Hopefully, Pandya will be able to build on his recent promising run with the bat and make important contributions as the tournament draws to a close in the coming weeks.
#2 Umran Malik | SRH
One of the breakout stars of IPL 2022 was Umran Malik, who was one of the principal contributors for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in his first full campaign in the league.
Umran's raw pace meant that he was soon fast-tracked into the national setup along expected lines, and he has played eight games in each of the ODI and T20I formats. The 2023 season, however, hasn't been too kind to the express quick.
In seven matches, Umran has recorded just five wickets at an economy rate of 10.35. As things currently stand, he has lost his place in the SRH side after bowling just 17 overs in those matches.
Umran is bound to be in the Team India mix going forward as well, but his IPL 2023 performances haven't been too encouraging. His lines and lengths have been way off, and his variations haven't been too effective either.
#1 Rahul Tripathi | SRH
Rahul Tripathi is another SRH player who has been far from his best in IPL 2023. The top-order batter played a decent knock against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) recently and also scored a superb unbeaten fifty earlier in the season. However, he has made little impact otherwise.
Tripathi has scored just 237 runs in 10 innings, with an average of 26.33 and a strike rate of 127.41. Pacers have had his number throughout the competition, and he has looked surprisingly scratchy out in the middle.
Tripathi is usually a breath of fresh air in any batting lineup and has played a couple of sizzling cameos for India since making his debut. It would've even been safe to say ahead of the IPL that any T20I squad would feature his name, given his intent and commitment.
However, Tripathi's season has been a bit of a damp squib.