5 South African stars who failed to shine in the IPL

Herschelle Gibbs

Herschelle Gibbs

Herschelle Gibbs could turn a match on its head with his batting. His explosive style and aggressive attitude was something to watch out for. He was among those players who most people predicted will rule the T20 format, as it was tailor made for a batsman of his talent.

Not to forget, he was termed the ‘next Jonty Rhodes’ as he was an extremely good fielder, especially at the point position which is crucial in any form of the game. He could easily move to the deep and still be as effective a fielder.

Gibbs would also be remembered for some match-winning performances, and also for the off-field scandals which kept in the limelight at all times. He couldn’t create an impact in this tournament for reasons relating to age and fitness. He was on the verge of ending his professional career when the tournament started.

For a batsman who had played only 23 T20I’s and 36 IPL games, just going by his natural hard-hitting batting style one would have expected him to create ripples which would be felt across the globe, and he could have featured more prominently in other T20 leagues too.

During his brief stint with the Perth Scorchers in the BBL, he couldn't replicate the form he had displayed when he wore the South Africa jersey.

Gibbs had a modest strike rate of just over 100 in his short stint playing the IPL, and because of it, he wasn’t able to repeat his ODI magic in the shortest format of the game.

Age, poor form and the inability to create a strong impact at the top of the order meant that the world didn’t get to see the talented player shine in a such a high profile tournament.