Bowlers are having a great time in the ongoing Indian Premier League season five. Before the tournament started, all eyes were on the batsmen as T-20 format is believed to be a format in which bowlers are treated as run scoring machines. Batsmen have everything in their favor, be it the pitches, the short boundaries and in some cases the contracts as well.
However, almost all the teams have realized the importance of having good bowlers in their side and the result is for everyone to see. Till now on 17 occasions a bowler has been nominated as the man of the match, keeping in mind that even the MOM title has always been pro-batsmen.
The spectators have seen some tremendous bowling performances and some pathetic shows. Let’s have a look at some of the bowlers from which a lot was expected but they have been a failure till now.
Vinay Kumar (Royal Challengers Bangalore):
He was one of the biggest buys in this year’s auction and a lot was expected from this Karnataka boy. Vinay Kumar has been with the Indian side in the recent past and he was believed to be an able partner for Zaheer Khan. He has been a non-performer and has taken only nine wickets in the tournament. The worst thing about his bowling has been the rate at which he has leaked the runs. His economy rate is nine runs per over. Looking at the position RCB find them in, this fast bowler has to pull up his socks.
Doug Bollinger (Chennai Super Kings):
Bollinger played a crucial role in Chennai winning the title last year and before the tournament he announced that he wants to make a comeback into the Australian side with his performance in IPL, if that is taken into consideration he may find it difficult to find a place for a very long time. Bollinger played only six matches because of his bad bowling and out of matches he played he took eight wickets at a bad economy rate of 8.72. He has been out of the side from past few matches and it is very difficult for him to come back.
Brett Lee (Kolkata Knight Riders):
He is one of the most experienced bowlers going around and is the leader of the attack for KKR. He has been a world class performer over the years, but this season has not gone according to his plan. He has played in seven matches and has taken seven wickets with an economy rate close to seven. Lee will know that this is not the type of performance that is expected from him and he will be looking to change that.
Amit Mishra (Deccan Chargers):
He has been one of the most prolific wicket taker in the history of IPL, but in this season he has been in-effective and inconsistent. Mishra is the most experienced bowler in the Deccan side, but he sure has not bowled like one. He has bowled badly whenever the captain has given him the responsibility and is one of the main reasons for Deccan doing so badly. In the seven matches he has played he has given away runs at an economy rate of 7.91 and picking up only seven wickets.
Rahul Sharma (Pune Warriors):
His performance in IPL-4 was so good that he was selected into the Indian team. The same was expected from him, but it didn’t happen. He was bowling quite well till the time Chris Gayle hit him for five sixes in an over. He lost his rhythm from then and eventually lost his place as well. In the nine matches that he played he took eight wickets at an economy rate of 7.93.
By Gaurav Jha
Indian Sports News
