The 2025 Indian Premier League season has delivered plenty of drama and just as many letdowns. While some players justified their hype, others failed to show up when it mattered most.
Whether due to poor form, fitness concerns, or just plain inconsistency, these high-profile names underperformed in a season that demanded more.
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Here’s a look at the XI that just didn’t deliver.
IPL 2025 worst XI: Pant, Maxwell and Pathirana make flop XI
Big names don’t always mean big performances. These 11 players came into the season with massive expectations but walked away with more questions than answers. Whether due to form, fitness, or opportunity, they simply didn’t deliver.
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Rachin Ravindra (Chennai Super Kings) - Batter
Ravindra got off to a flyer but fizzled out fast. The left-hander scored 238 runs at a strike rate of 156.58, but the bulk of his runs came early in the season. As CSK’s middle-order challenges mounted, Ravindra’s struggles against spin and his inability to rotate strike in the middle overs became hard to ignore.
Ishan Kishan (Sunrisers Hyderabad) - Batter
Kishan’s ₹11.25 crore price tag came with expectations but not results. His ultra-aggressive approach didn’t pay off, and he failed to provide more than 110 runs in 4 matches. In a lineup that needed him to fire, Kishan never quite found rhythm.
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Venkatesh Iyer (Kolkata Knight Riders) - Batter
KKR invested ₹23.75 crore in Iyer, hoping for consistency with the bat and utility with the ball. Instead, they got flashes of promise that never materialised into full performances. His strike rate was decent (46.25), but the impact? Minimal.
Riyan Parag (Rajasthan Royals) - Batter
Parag entered the season with renewed hype, with 82* as his highest score and a middle-order slot to prove himself. But inconsistency plagued his campaign. With RR falling short of the playoffs, his failure to convert starts or close out innings played a part.
Rishabh Pant (Lucknow Super Giants) — Captain - Wicket-keeper/Batter
Pant’s long-awaited return was more story than substance. He managed just 129 runs in five games at the BRSABV Ekana Stadium and struggled to assert himself as a leader. His captaincy decisions drew criticism, and his batting lacked urgency.
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Shimron Hetmyer (Rajasthan Royals) - Batter
Retained for ₹11 crore, Hetmyer’s role was simple, finish the games, however, he has failed to live up to the hype. A string of low scores (113 runs this season) and missed opportunities left RR short in key chases. His inability to anchor or explode made him a liability in the middle order. Retaining the West Indian over Jos Buttler has proved to be a costly mistake for the RR management.
Glenn Maxwell (Punjab Kings) - All-rounder
A broken finger ended his season early, but even before that, Maxwell was miles off his best. He finished with just 48 runs in six innings, managing a high score of 30. For a player of his calibre, it was one of his worst IPL campaigns.
Andre Russell (Kolkata Knight Riders) - All-Rounder
Russell’s form and fitness were both suspect this season. Bought at ₹12 crore, he couldn’t find consistency with the bat or make an impact with the ball and only managed an average of 20.63. KKR relied on his all-round abilities and were left disappointed on both fronts.
Ravi Bishnoi (Lucknow Super Giants) - Spin bowler
Bishnoi’s control and wicket-taking edge were missing. A key part of LSG’s bowling core, the leggie struggled to contain runs in crunch moments and couldn’t provide breakthroughs when it mattered most. He managed 12 wickets in 15 matches.
Matheesha Pathirana (Chennai Super Kings) - Fast bowler
Pathirana’s slingy pace was less effective this time around, his 7.63 economy rate was concerning. He leaked runs and failed to strike in high-pressure spells. Without his usual death-over dominance, CSK’s bowling attack looked vulnerable.
Mohammed Shami (Sunrisers Hyderabad) - Fast bowler
Shami brought experience but not execution. With 132 IPL wickets to his name before the season, he was expected to lead SRH’s pace attack, but he couldn’t with just 10 wickets in 12 matches. Instead, his rhythm was off, his economy rate climbed, and the wickets just didn’t come.