3 overseas superstars who have been severely underutilized in IPL 2023

The Indian Premier League (IPL) provides an excellent platform for domestic cricketers to hone their skills, but it doesn't always translate into the same benefits for overseas professionals.

While there are a few examples of overseas players making a name for themselves in the league, with Matheesha Pathirana being a recent addition to the list of names who have done so, others have had to make do with limited roles.

Ben Stokes, who is one of the most high-profile all-rounders in the world, is currently warming the bench for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Similarly, stars from other countries have either barely made the playing XI or been given underwhelming roles.

Here are three overseas superstars who have been severely underutilized in IPL 2023.

---

#3 Quinton de Kock - Lucknow Super Giants

South Africa v Netherlands - ICC Men's T20 World Cup

The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have played 11 matches in IPL 2023, and Quinton de Kock has played just one of them! Part of that has been down to his availability, with the opener missing the first few matches owing to international duty.

Since then, though, it has been all Kyle Mayers, who has been sensational for Lucknow at the top of the order. Mayers, along with Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Mark Wood, and Naveen-ul-Haq, has kept De Kock out of the side.

The only reason why De Kock made his IPL 2023 debut against the Gujarat Titans (GT) was KL Rahul's season-ending injury, which left LSG without much firepower at the top of the order. He duly fired on a beautiful batting wicket, making 70 off just 41 balls, albeit in a losing cause.

De Kock is one of the most destructive T20 openers on his day, and while the reasons behind his exclusion were not avoidable, his talent merits a much more significant run.

---

#2 Wanindu Hasaranga - Royal Challengers Bangalore

New Zealand v Sri Lanka - 2nd T20

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have been extremely poor from a tactical standpoint in IPL 2023. Their team selection, batting order, usage of impact players, and general execution have all been distinctly below-par.

Wanindu Hasaranga, who was one of their most important players last year, has been reduced to a bit-part role this time around. In his first couple of matches, the Sri Lankan didn't even bowl his quota of four overs and wasn't trusted to deliver at key stages of the innings.

While Hasaranga has played a bigger role since then, RCB clearly don't have enough trust in him to reprise his exploits from the 2022 campaign. They don't appear to believe in his batting at all, even sending in impact player Anuj Rawat and bowler Harshal Patel above him in certain matches.

Hasaranga, as a capable spin-hitter, should be used higher up the order. The all-rounder should also be trusted to bowl his four overs in all games. He is the only player to feature on this list despite playing most of his team's matches.

---

#1 Rovman Powell - Delhi Capitals

South Africa v West Indies - 1st T20 International

Rovman Powell came into IPL 2023 on the back of exceptional performances in other T20 leagues. He seemed to have developed sufficiently as a batter to succeed in the IPL, but things haven't gone so well.

Powell notched up scores of 1, 2, and 4 for the Delhi Capitals (DC) before being dropped from the side. His clear limitations against spin came to the fore as Ravi Bishnoi, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Piyush Chawla sent him back with ease in those three matches.

To be fair to Powell, though, DC didn't use him very smartly at all. Instead of sending him to feast against pace at the death, they put him in situations he was always going to struggle in. And after that, instead of tweaking his role, Delhi dropped him altogether.

Powell is a much better player than his recent numbers suggest and has what it takes to be an IPL match-winner. Like several other questionable decisions this year, DC got it wrong.