IPL 2014: 5 star Indian batsmen who have disappointed the most

The seventh edition of the Indian Premier League is almost halfway through and we’ve already witnessed numerous breathtaking moments – the best of the lot being yesterday’s AB de Villiers onslaught, closely followed by Chris Lynn's stunning catch to dismiss the former in a separate game. Nonetheless, over and all, the bowlers have been terrific this season as scores in excess of 180 have been far and few between. What has gone unnoticed, in the midst of so many colours, is the performance of Team India’s mainstays. While bowlers like R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have upped their game to a whole new level, Shami and Amit Mishra have put up decent shows. It is the batsmen who haven’t impressed. Apart from the CSK skipper MS Dhoni and  Ajinkya Rahane, none of the other batters have stepped up, which can never be good news from the national perspective. Here's a sideshow depicting the 5 Indian batsmen who haven't done justice to their reputation, at all, in the IPL, so far:

#1 Virat Kohli Avg. 21, SR 110.52

How often is Virat Kohli accused of ordinary displays? Virtually, never! Not too long ago, he was in the purple patch of his career, a purple patch which seemed indefinite. In red colours, however, he hasn't quite delivered with the bat, yet, much to the disappointment of passionate RCB fans and desperate fantasy league players.

Apart from the match-winning 49* in the first game against Delhi Daredevils, Kohli has put together a meager 56 runs in 5 matches; which is nowhere near acceptable for someone of his standard.

Being the captain of his side, his individual presentation as a batter is bound to have a profound impact on the players around him. This inevitability could be fathomed from the fact that only 2 RCB batsmen – one of them being a lusterless Yuvraj Singh, finds a place in the 20 leading run-getters so far.

Kohli’s defence has been gotten through once and his outside edge has been found thrice – far too much for his liking. He would be irresistibly eager to set things right and compile an innings which inspires confidence in his team, and more importantly, in himself.