5 times when players were disrespected by IPL teams

It is safe to say that the Indian T20 League is the greatest T20 franchise cricket tournament in the world. It began in the year 2008 and, currently, the 15^th edition of the tournament is underway. Chennai and Mumbai are two of the most successful teams in the competition, while teams like Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Delhi too have been fierce competitors.

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The players from different countries have played great roles in helping their respective franchises achieve success in the competition. However, there have been occasions, when these players didn’t receive the best treatment from their respective franchises. Over the years, the fans have witnessed rifts between players and their franchises on numerous occasions.

In this article, we take a look at five of those occasions when the players were disrespected by the Indian Premier League teams:

1. Warner losing his captaincy for Hyderabad in 2021 Indian T20 League

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David Warner had a season to forget for Hyderabad in the 2021 edition of the Indian T20 League. He endured a lean run throughout the competition. Warner failed to give the team solid starts while opening the batting for the side. Under his leadership, Hyderabad lost five matches out of the first six. As a result, Warner had to lose his spot in the playing XI and Kane Williamson also took over the leadership duties.

Warner’s omission from the side left everyone in shock, given how much impact he has had for Hyderabad, since its arrival in the league. Under his leadership, Hyderabad won their maiden title in 2016. He played 8 matches in the 2021 edition, scoring 195 runs at 24.37. Warner is currently playing for Delhi as he wasn’t retained by the franchise ahead of the Mega Auction 2021.

2. MS Dhoni’s sacking as Pune’s captain in the 2016 edition

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Mahendra Singh Dhoni is one of the most successful captains in the history of the Indian T20 League. He has played an influential role in helping Chennai become one of the most successful franchises in the competition. However, the franchise was banned from playing the competition for 2 years owing to match-fixing charges.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni was given the responsibility to lead a new franchise in Pune in the 2016 edition. Under his leadership, the franchise finished at the bottom half of the points table, and Pune handed the leadership duties to Steve Smith for the next season.

Reports had suggested that MS Dhoni was sacked as captain due to a rift between him and the franchise’s owner. The former Indian captain played as a wicket-keeper batter in the side in the 2017 edition, while Steve Smith led the franchise.

3. Sourav Ganguly sacked as Kolkata’s captain in the 2009 edition

India’s legendary skipper, Sourav Ganguly was appointed as the skipper of the Kolkata team for the inaugural edition of the Indian T20 League. However, the franchise didn’t perform well under his leadership. Kolkata finished 6^th with 6 wins in 14 matches.

In the following edition, Sourav Ganguly was sacked as captain and coach John Buchanan had a huge role in making that decision. Seemingly, the former Kolkata coach wasn’t too impressed with Ganguly’s leadership and, as a result, Brendon McCullum was appointed as the captain.

4. Delhi’s unfair treatment to Glenn McGrath in 2008 edition

The Australian legendary fast bowler announced his retirement from international cricket after the 2007 World Cup. He was signed by Delhi ahead of the inaugural edition of the Indian T20 League. The Australian cricketer emerged as one of the stand-out bowlers for the team. However, the franchise benched him for the major chunk of the season in 2009.

The likes of Ashish Nehra, Pradeep Sangwan and Aavishkar Salvi were performing well for the side and Dirk Nannes was also outstanding that season. Thus, Delhi didn’t find the need to include him in the eleven. Later, Mcgrath expressed his disappointment over the same and also stated that he might skip the next edition of the tournament.

5. Bangalore chose not to retain Chris Gayle for the 2018 edition 

Chris Gayle has been a prolific run-scorer in the Indian T20 League. He has left a huge legacy in the Indian T20 League by scoring a plethora of runs and sixes. Gayle’s best years in the Indian T20 League came during his stint with Bangalore.

He has made a huge impact with the bat for Bangalore in the league’s history. However, the southpaw couldn’t live up to the expectations in the 2017 edition. Turning up for Bangalore, he could only manage to score 200 runs in 9 matches.

As a result, he wasn’t retained by the franchise in 2018. The Universal Boss wasn’t too happy with his omission and also criticized the management for giving him false impressions before the auction.