IPL 2019: Four International Stars who will be missed during this IPL season

In just a few days’ time, the biggest T20 league is about to start. The 12th season of the IPL is here and all the fans are getting ready to witness some high octane T20 cricket. As always, it’s going to be great fun this season as all the eight teams look well placed before the start. There is not much to choose between all the sides and we could get to see a really tough competition this IPL.

Even though this is an election year, the BCCI has done a great job in not shifting the IPL to any other country. They have managed the schedule so that the election dates in a particular place don’t clash with the match dates.

Another thing about this IPL season is that the World Cup is scheduled just after the league. Due to the World Cup, many overseas stars will be called early for national duties. The absence of the star overseas players gives a chance to the young Indians to shine and make a name for themselves.

There are a few international stars who won’t come to the IPL this year. Let us look at four such international stars who will be missed this season.

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#4. Aaron Finch

Aaron Finch

Aaron Finch is one of those overseas stars who has played many teams. He has played for RR, PWI, DD SRH, MI, GL, and KXIP. He is one of the best T20 players in the international circuit. However, when it comes to the IPL, he has not been able to perform to his full potential.

Finch has played 75 games in the IPL but still averages just 25.93 in the biggest T20 league. We all know what Finch is capable of in the shortest format. Finch has the top two scores in T20Is. Last year at KXIP, he was asked to bat in the middle-order which didn’t quite work in his favour.

He too had a really poor season just like Maxwell and as a result, was left out of the side before the auction. Just like his teammate, Finch too did not register his name into the auction and so won’t be part of any team in the upcoming season. Fans want to see the best players of the format and so Finch will be missed in this season for sure.

#3. Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell announced his arrival in the IPL in the 2014 season when he was absolutely phenomenal for Kings XI Punjab. He was one of the main reasons as to why KXIP made the final that year. But that was the only season where Maxwell showed his true potential in the IPL.

Even after struggling in the next two seasons, he was appointed as the captain of KXIP in 2017. That year too, he didn’t have the best of the seasons. He wasn’t retained in 2018 and as a result, DD bought him from the auction.

The 2018 season was one of his poorest seasons in the IPL. He was dropped from the DD team as well ahead of this year’s auction. He did not register his name for this year’s auction owing to the busy international schedule.

Even though Maxwell hasn’t been at his best after the 2014 season, he always brings the excitement and the X-factor with him and so he will be missed this year.

#2. Brendon McCullum

Brendon McCullum

Brendon McCullum was the overseas star who set the IPL on fire in the opening match of the first season. He was absolutely brilliant that night as he scored 158* off just 73 balls. Since then, he was played for a few more teams and performed really well.

He was an integral part of the CSK team for quite a few years. He had a great season with the Gujrat Lions in 2016 when CSK was banned. Last year, he was picked up by RCB but wasn’t used properly. He was left out the RCB team ahead of the 2019 auction.

To many people’s surprise, McCullum went unsold in the IPL 2019 auction. In the recent BBL season, he did play some fine innings. Unfortunately, the fans won’t be able to see those blazing starts from McCullum in this IPL season. He is definitely one of the international stars who will be missed this IPL.

#1. Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir had a phenomenal IPL career. The southpaw is one of the finest players to play in IPL. In 2011, KKR signed him for a huge price in the auction. He was asked to lead a completely new team and he delivered.

Under his captaincy, KKR won two titles in three years. He even contributed with the bat in those two titles. He is one of the most successful captains in the IPL. He showed that he has a really fine cricketing brain. He was performing well till the 2017 season but it somehow wasn’t working in the last season.

Last year, he went back to his home side Delhi to try and help them win their maiden title. But it wasn’t to be. He struggled with his batting as he didn’t score enough runs in the first 5-6 games. He stepped down from the captaincy and handed it over to the young Shreyas Iyer.

Gambhir retired from all forms of cricket midway through this domestic season. He won’t be a part of this IPL and would be definitely missed not only as a player, but also as a captain.