IPL 2021: 5 star performers who deserved a place in their country's T20 World Cup squad
IPL 2021 ended last night at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) registering a 27-run victory against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to win the Indian Premier League title for the fourth time.
Both CSK and KKR qualified for the summit clash by beating the Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2021 playoffs. The Capitals had topped the standings but failed to make it to the finale. Meanwhile, the Royal Challengers Bangalore finished fourth despite performing exceptionally well in the league stage.
Two-time defending champions Mumbai Indians did not finish in the top 4, while former IPL winners Sunrisers Hyderabad took the wooden spoon home. All in all, it was an eventful season, with many cricketers stealing the show during the tournament.
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The T20 World Cup 2021 is set to begin tomorrow in the UAE and Oman. However, the following five top performers of IPL 2021 will not be a part of their nation's T20 World Cup squad.
#1 Faf du Plessis
Former South African captain Faf du Plessis was ignored by selectors for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The right-handed batter recently retired from Test cricket to focus on the shorter formats of the game.
He was in fantastic touch during IPL 2021 as Du Plessis scored 633 runs in 16 innings and was adjudged the Player of the Match in the final against KKR. However, Du Plessis will be returning home now instead of playing for his country in the T20 World Cup.
#2 Sunil Narine
Caribbean all-rounder Sunil Narine starred for the Kolkata Knight Riders in their journey to the IPL 2021 Final. He ended the season in tenth position on the Purple Cap leaderboard, scalping 16 wickets.
Narine also chipped in with a few crucial cameos in the tournament. However, West Indies captain Kieron Pollard has confirmed that Narine will not play for the Men in Maroon at the upcoming mega event.
#3 Jason Holder
Jason Holder was a consistent performer for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2021. He played in only eight matches but managed to take 16 wickets and score 85 runs for the Orange Army.
Unlike Sunil Narine, Jason Holder will be with the West Indies squad in the UAE. However, he is not in the main squad for the T20 World Cup 2021 but a part of the reserves.
#4 Yuzvendra Chahal
Royal Challengers Bangalore leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was surprisingly ignored by the Indian selectors for the T20 World Cup 2021. The RCB star scalped 18 wickets at an economy rate of 7.05 in 15 matches of IPL 2021.
Despite upping his game in the UAE leg, Chahal did not receive a place in the revised Indian squad for the T20 World Cup 2021. It seems Chahal will have to work harder to regain his place in the Indian team.
#5 Axar Patel
Delhi Capitals all-rounder Axar Patel was named in the original Indian 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup 2021. However, just a few days ago, Shardul Thakur replaced Patel in the team.
Patel did a superb job for the Delhi-based franchise in IPL 2021. He missed a few games because of his positive COVID-19 test, but Patel ended the season with 15 wickets in 12 matches and also scored 40 runs. The 27-year-old has now been moved to the list of reserves for the Indian T20 World Cup 2021 squad.