As the IPL 2025 season barrels toward its high-stakes playoffs, the tournament has once again delivered its trademark drama, dazzling performances, and heartbreaks. Yet, amid the fireworks, some of the league’s biggest names have endured a nightmare run, leaving fans and franchises bewildered at their prolonged slumps. This year, the underwhelming form of several established stars has been a major talking point, with critics and legends alike questioning their hunger and commitment. Here, we assemble the most disappointing XI of IPL 2025—a line-up of players whose performances have fallen far short of expectations.
The flop playing XI of the IPL 2025
- Jake Fraser-McGurk (Delhi Capitals): The Australian sensation, who arrived with a reputation for aggressive strokeplay, failed to adapt to Indian conditions making just 55 runs in 6 games. His inability to convert starts into meaningful scores left his team searching for stability at the top.
- Rahul Tripathi (Chennai Super Kings): Once a reliable middle-order anchor, Tripathi’s form nosedived this season. His struggles against both pace and spin saw him lose his spot in the XI, with a string of low scores and a strike rate that failed to keep up with the demands of T20 cricket making a total of 55 runs in 5 games.
- Rishabh Pant (Lucknow Super Giants): Returning to lead after a long layoff, Pant’s comeback has been underwhelming with just 151 runs in 12 innings. His famed finishing abilities and a massive price tag of INR 27 crore deserted him, and his captaincy failed to inspire a turnaround, making it a season to forget for the Lucknow Super Giants skipper.
- Glenn Maxwell (Punab Kings): Perhaps the most high-profile flop of the season, Maxwell’s woes have been the subject of intense scrutiny. With just 41 runs in six matches at an average of 8.20 and a strike rate of 100, the Australian all-rounder has looked a shadow of his former self. Even his bowling, which fetched four wickets at an economy of 8.46, could not compensate for his batting failures. Critics like Virender Sehwag have accused him of lacking hunger and treating the IPL as a holiday, a sentiment echoed by many fans and pundits.
- Liam Livingstone (Royal Challengers Bengaluru): Another overseas star who failed to justify his hefty price tag, Livingstone managed only 87 runs in seven matches at an average of 17.40. His sporadic flashes of brilliance, including a solitary half-century, were not enough to silence critics. His part-time spin yielded just two wickets, and his overall impact was negligible, leading to his exclusion from the playing XI in crucial matches.
- Shimron Hetmyer (Rajasthan Royals): Known for his finishing prowess, Hetmyer’s inability to close out games or provide late-order impetus has been a significant blow for his franchise. His lack of consistency and poor shot selection have been persistent issues.
- Rahul Tewatia (Gujarat Titans): Once celebrated for his heroics as a finisher, Tewatia’s magic deserted him in 2025. He struggled to find rhythm with both bat and ball, failing to deliver in crunch situations and leaving his team with a void in the lower middle order.
- Ravichandran Ashwin (Chennai Super Kings): The veteran off-spinner, renowned for his guile, endured a tough season with just 7 wickets in 9 games. Ashwin’s wickets dried up, and he was unable to stem the flow of runs, often targeted by opposition batters who read him with ease.
- Mohammed Shami (Sunrisers Hyderabad): Shami’s usually reliable new-ball spells lacked venom this year. He struggled with both form and fitness, conceding runs at a high rate and failing to provide early breakthroughs. Shami ended his season playing 9 games and only six scalps.
- Tushar Deshpande (Rajasthan Royals): Deshpande’s season was marred by inconsistency with only 10 wickets in 9 matches. His tendency to leak runs at the death and inability to execute yorkers under pressure saw him lose the confidence of his captain.
- Mohit Sharma (Delhi Capitals): The experienced seamer, who once thrived on his variations, found little to no success in 2025 with only 2 wickets in 10 games. Mohit’s lack of pace and predictability made him an easy target for aggressive batters.
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Impact Players for the flop playing XI
- Ravi Bishnoi (Lucknow Super Giants): Touted as a rising star in India’s spin department, Bishnoi was expected to be a game-changer. Instead, with 9 wickets in 11 games he struggled with line and length, offering little threat in the middle overs and failing to break crucial partnerships.
- Venkatesh Iyer (Kolkata Knight Riders): After a breakout season in 2024, Iyer’s form has been on a downward spiral. In 2025, making just 142 runs in 7 games he failed to provide the explosive starts expected of him and was unable to contribute significantly with the ball, making his role as an impact player redundant.
