IPL: 3 great T20 players who flopped for RR
The Rajasthan Royals have carved a niche for themselves as an Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise that is a breeding ground for young upcoming talent. Right from the first IPL season, the Jaipur-based side haven't had many bonafide superstars take to the field for them.
Riding on youthful players attempting to make a name for themselves, alongside some experienced T20 players, RR have managed to punch above their weight in almost every season.
Great T20 players who flopped for RR in the IPL
In a team in with very few marquee players and even fewer underperformers, choosing 3 players who can be labelled as 'flops' can be a difficult task. However, these 3 great T20 cricketers didn't experience anywhere near the desired success for RR in the IPL.
#3 Ben Cutting
The Man of the Final in the Sunrisers Hyderabad's victorious 2016 IPL campaign, Ben Cutting has failed to establish his place in the playing XI of any of the 3 IPL franchises that he has played for.
The first of the three teams, RR, was perhaps least kind on him. The Australian played only 1 game for RR, in which he scored 8 runs and went for 31 runs in his 4 overs while picking up one wicket. In a team that has always been dependent on all-rounders and has seen many quality Australian players make a name for themselves, Cutting failed to make an impact.
In his sole year at the side in IPL 2014, RR finished 5th and didn't qualify for the playoffs. The most games that Cutting has played in a single IPL season in 8, which is the number he reached while playing for the Mumbai Indians in 2018. The 33-year-old went unsold in the 2020 IPL auction, and we may have seen the last of him in the premier T20 tournament.
#2 Tim Southee
Tim Southee was recently released by RCB ahead of the 2020 IPL and went unsold in the auction, and that is largely due to his waning influence in the shortest format of the game. But in 2014 and 2015, the years for which he was part of RR, he was firmly in his prime but didn't succeed at the franchise.
In 3 games in the 2014 IPL, Southee didn't pick up a single wicket although he conceded runs at a decent economy rate of 7.6. In the 2015 season, in which RR finished 4th to qualify for the playoffs, the Kiwi's contribution was just 6 wickets in 7 games at an economy rate of 8.82.
Southee was the leader of an inexperienced pace attack during his time at RR, but failed to step up to the plate. Much like Cutting, the 31-year-old is perhaps past his prime and may not play in the IPL again.
#1 D'Arcy Short
D'Arcy Short came into the 2018 IPL on the back of a spectacular Big Bash League (BBL) season, but unlike his fellow Australians who excelled for RR, he failed to replicate his form.
In 45 BBL games for the Hobart Hurricanes, Short has scored 1,802 runs at an average of 46.21 and a strike rate of 143.36, with 15 fifties and 3 hundreds to his name. However, in 7 games for RR, he scored just 115 runs at an average of 16.42. The southpaw, known for being aggressive at the top of the order, had a strike rate of just 116.16 as well.
Short was immediately released by RR following his horrible season and has gone unsold in the subsequent two IPL auctions. The 30-year-old is still involved in the Australian white-ball setups and could well make an IPL return in the near future.
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