IPL: 3 West Indies players who flopped in the tournament
In an interview last year, former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop talked about how the IPL has impacted players from his region and how the tournament has made the players more secure. The West Indies players are entertainers and the impact they have had on the shortest format is a testament to their skills and abilities.
A number of West Indies players are superstars in India and fans adore them for their contribution to the different franchises. While Kieron Pollard, Chris Gayle and Andre Russell are superstars and match-winners, there have been players who have not quite lived up to their billing and have struggled to be at their best in the IPL.
Here, we take a look at 3 West Indies players who flopped in the IPL:
1.) Carlos Brathwaite
The big-hitting all-rounder was the toast of the town when he smacked Ben Stokes for four sixes in the final of the World T20 in 2016. Along with being a massive hitter of the ball, Brathwaite is also a decent bowler and is quite swift on the field. He was even appointed captain of West Indies T20I side for a brief while, but could not justify his potential.
Despite having all the credentials for being a match-winner in the shortest format, he could not cut it in the IPL. In 16 matches so far, he has only managed 181 runs at an average of 13.92.
With the ball, the story is no different - he has only picked up 13 wickets in 16 matches while his economy rate reads 8.85. He could never have the impact a Kieron Pollard or an Andre Russell had and it is a crying shame that big Carlos could never really take off in the IPL.
2.) Darren Sammy
Darren Sammy led West Indies to two World T20 titles, he was successful in the PSL where he guided Peshawar Zalmi to three finals and won once. However, he was never quite successful in the IPL and despite being in leadership positions, he could never stamp his authority on the league.
In 22 matches, he could only score 295 runs at an average of 19.66 and with a strike rate of 122.40. He was poor with the ball as well - he picked up 11 wickets in 22 matches and was never able to either restrict the scoring or pick up wickets.
It was not a very fruitful career for the former West Indies captain and he would certainly feel he missed out in the IPL.
3.) Marlon Samuels
Marlon Samuels was a clutch player for West Indies and he played a vital role in West Indies lifting the 2012 and 2016 T20 World Cups. The right-hander was the top scorer in the final of both these editions.
However, the mercurial right-hander was never successful in the IPL. In the 15 IPL games played across three seasons, Samuels scored just 161 runs at an average of 12.38. His last game in the IPL came back in 2017 and he has not since featured in the league.
For all this class and temperament, he sure missed out on stamping his imprint on the league.