IPL 2015: 5 players who need to step up for their teams

With the eighth season of the Indian Premier League having almost reached its mid-way, let us take a look at five players who have failed to live up to expectations and who need to step up if their respective teams are to qualify for the play-off stages and eventually the finals. After having spent a lot of money on these players, it is only natural for the franchisees to expect them to deliver when it matters the most.

#5 Ravi Bopara

As a T20 veteran, Ravi Bopara is the kind of utility all-rounder that anyone would want in their team. He may not be the best pinch-hitter out there, but he has enough in his artillery to provide the goods with the bat, and even roll his arm with the ball when needed.

The right-hander from England has featured in all the matches that Sunrisers Hyderabad have played this season, and truth be said, he has fared decently in most of them. But his ‘decent’ performances have not been good enough to salvage consistent victories for his franchise.

A couple of 20+ scores in the first three matches weren’t able to arrest the stutters that Sunrisers went through right at the beginning of their campaign. A horde of uncapped players make up the middle order after David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan at the top, and needless to say, the fragility of the batting-line up is among the reasons why Sunrisers haven’t been able to post 150+ totals as often as the other teams.

A sturdy 41 with the bat against the Daredevils was undone by four wicketless overs in the same match that went for 38 runs. Three unflattering games later, Bopara now finds himself in a position where he absolutely has to deliver within his limited windows of opportunity if Sunrisers are to seriously challenge teams from the top four.