5 Flops of IPL 2026 league stage

Another Indian Premier League (IPL) edition is coming to a close with defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), former champions Gujarat Titans (GT), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) securing the 2026 playoffs spots. With the top four teams now setting their eyes on the prestigious silverware, the league stage delivered not only some breathtaking finishes and breakout stars but also exposed some high-profile players and big-money signings. 

While this season mainly saw youngsters stand up for their respective teams, several well-established names failed to justify the expectations which were placed upon them. From inconsistent batting to underwhelming bowling figures, this includes five names which had a forgettable IPL 2026 league stage and could not help their respective sides make it into the playoffs either. 

5 Players who have flopped in IPL 2026 league stage

Rishabh Pant

Coming into the season as the most expensive player in IPL history, Rishabh Pant faced a lot of expectations as a young Indian wicketkeeper-batter. The INR 27 Cr buy for LSG had a disappointing campaign, both as a batter and captain of the side. The 28-year-old could only manage 312 runs across 14 innings and showed inconsistent form with the bat, thus hurting his team, which became the first team to exit the season.

This was his second consecutive dismal season with the Lucknow-based franchise after being able to score only 269 runs at an awful average of 24.45 in IPL 2025. Apart from this, his captaincy stint also came under the scanner after delivering back-to-back disappointing campaigns, especially seeing LSG struggle tactically, poor team combinations, and finish with only four wins under their belt. 

Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya, who remains Team India’s dependable all-rounder, failed to lead Mumbai Indians (MI) successfully in IPL 2026. The Gujarat-born’s season was a frustrating one, marked by inconsistent performances, injury concerns and a disappointing leadership role. While he could only score 206 runs in 10 innings and picked up only 4 wickets, his overall impact was limited compared to the expectations from a skipper as well as a key all-rounder. 

While he was affected mainly by his workload, his captaincy also got him under the radar as the team suffered as many as 10 defeats out of the 14 games and finished in ninth place, just above LSG. Since taking over from Rohit Sharma, Hardik managed to take his side to the playoffs only once (2025). 

Marco Jansen

The Protean international, Marco Jansen, entered IPL 2026 with massive expectations, especially after the Punjab Kings (PBKS) invested heavily in him as an all-rounder. However, the 6’8’ tall cricketer’s season turned out to be underwhelming as he could pick only 9 wickets in 13 matches at an economy of 10.20, struggling to give key breakthroughs while the team struggled. Moreover, with the bat, he could only score 51 runs in 5 innings at a strike rate of 113.33.

Ruturaj Gaikwad

Ruturaj Gaikwad’s IPL 2026 campaign started with high expectations but eventually ended in a big disappointment. Chennai Super Kings failed to qualify for the playoffs. The CSK skipper scored 337 runs in 14 matches at an average of 28.08 and a strike rate of 123.44. Although he showed flashes of brilliance but lacked consistency in key games, and his poor strike rate in the powerplay did not help CSK’s cause, making him feature in this list. Moreover, his captaincy also raised questions. He opted for conservative field placements, absurd bowling rotations, and failed to take the team forward during pressure situations.

Jasprit Burmah

Unlike other times, this year, star Indian speedster Jasprit Bumrah had a forgettable season. Known to be the premier bowler, bowling precise yorkers, right on length deliveries, struggled to dominate in IPL 2026 and finished with only four wickets in 13 matches at an economy of 8.36. While he endured one of his toughest IPL seasons this time, he also etched some unwanted records, including registering the worst-ever bowling average (102.50) in T20 history. 

Later on, the MI head coach also opened up about Bumrah’s struggle with injury, which he has been carrying on from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.

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