IPL 2021: 3 player replacements who were unsuccessful in the second leg of the tournament
The curtains are being drawn on the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) season as the world gears up for the all-important final between the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The two sides will battle it out against each other to get their hands on the silverware in Dubai.
In these unprecedented times, things haven't gone about as "usual." This year's edition of the IPL was no different. For the first time in 14 years, the IPL campaign had to be divided into two parts after a COVID outbreak breached the secure bio-bubble environment earlier this year.
The eight franchises returned to action in September in the UAE for the remainder of the tournament. With plenty of absentees due to various factors, the teams had the option of announcing player replacements for the tournament.
While some big names had to miss out, the door was open for unselected players to make their debut IPL appearance this season. Some wasted no time making their presence felt on the grand stage, but a few big names failed to live up to the high expectations and demands of the grandest T20 tournament in the world.
On that note, we take a look at three player replacements who failed to make an impact in the tournament.
#3 Wanindu Hasaranga
The Sri Lankan leg-spinner came in as a replacement for Australia's Adam Zampa. A classic leggie and a handy lower-order batter, Wanindu Hasaranga's inclusion was an exciting prospect for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in this year's IPL.
However, Hasaranga could only break into the RCB starting XI just twice this season and had forgettable outings in both matches. Hasaranga just bowled six overs in the IPL this season with an economy rate of 10 and remained wicketless throughout.
While the leggie had limited time to make an impact, he failed to impress in the prestigious tournament after some excellent performances in the international circuit.
#2 Nathan Ellis
The Australian came into the limelight when he bagged a hat-trick against Bangladesh earlier this year. With his variety of slower balls, Nathan Ellis was an intriguing replacement for his Australian counterpart Riley Meredith.
Unfortunately for the youngster, the Punjab Kings (PBKS) never settled on a stable playing XI. Ellis had a run of three games before he was left out of the side. In the three matches he played, Ellis could manage to get only a solitary wicket. His economy rate was also one of the worst amongst the pacers in IPL 2021.
#1 George Garton
George Garton was perhaps one of the few replacement players who got a genuine opportunity with a run of games to show what he's all about in this second leg of the tournament. However, things didn't work out as planned for the English left-arm pacer.
In the five matches Garton played, he managed to add three wickets to his tally. His economy rate of 9 meant that he was one of RCB's most expensive bowlers in the tournament, while his strike rate of 30 made it evident that he wasn't the wicket-taking option in the powerplays that RCB were looking for in the IPL.