IPL 2018: 5 IPL stars who are being missed by the fans

After over a month of intense action, the tournament has entered its last leg. Sunrisers Hyderabad has officially qualified for the playoffs while other teams are fighting it out to finish in the upper half of the points table.

Delhi Daredevils who are placed at the bottom of the table are officially knocked out of the tournament while Royal Challengers Bangalore still have a bleak chance to qualify. The upcoming week will confirm the qualification of at least two more teams and the fight to finish in the top 4 is bound to get intense.

While the season has been exciting so far, still many star IPL players are being missed. These players are sitting out of the tournament due to one or the other reason.

Here are the 5 IPL stars who are being missed by the fans this season:

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#5 David Warner

David Warner, the Australian batsman was ruled out of the tournament following a one year ban. The verdict came as a setback to the Sunrisers Hyderabad team even before the season had started. It was heartbreaking news for the fans and the team is definitely missing his presence.

Warner has been the pillar of the Hyderabad team ever since he joined them. In the four seasons that he has played for SRH, Warner has scored more than 500 runs in each of them. It was under his captaincy that Sunrisers Hyderabad won their maiden IPL title in 2016.

Sunrisers Hyderabad's batting has looked ordinary since the start of the season and it is the bowling that has won them most of the matches. New Zealand batsman, Kane Williamson has been able to fill in the boots of David Warner as a captain still, Warner's presence as a power-hitting batsman is being felt.

#4 Hashim Amla

Hashim Amla, the South African batsman is one of the few players in the world who can adjust between formats flawlessly. Although Hashim Amla has an excellent track record in T20 cricket, he has never been seen as the one suitable for the format.

It was shocking to see Kings XI Punjab not retaining him despite having a successful season for the team in the previous season. Amla scored 420 runs in 10 matches at an average of 60.00 and a strike rate of 145.83. His average of 60.00 was the highest for any batsman in the season.

It was surprising to see that none of the franchises showed interest in him in this year's auction and the reason for it is still undiscovered.

Hashim Amla has played in 132 T20s in which he has scored over 4000 runs. With enough of experience under his belt, he deserves to play in the IPL and is certainly being missed.

#3 Dwayne Smith

Dwayne Smith, the West Indies all-rounder was a mainstay in Gujarat Lions's team in the previous two seasons. He played a key role in the Lions finishing on the top of the table in IPL 2016. Smith earlier played for Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians and was a match winner for both of the teams. It was shocking to see him go unsold at the auction.

He first came to the limelight in the 2012 season where he won some crucial matches for Mumbai Indians. Following his successful 2012 and 2013 seasons for Mumbai Indians, he was bought by Chennai Super Kings in 2014 where he scored close to 1000 runs in the two seasons that he played for them.

Smith has been out of the West Indies team for a while now but continues to flourish in T20 leagues around the world. He is one of the best power-hitters in the world and his batting is a delight to be watched by a cricket fan.

#2 Steve Smith

Steve Smith, one of the best batsmen in the world across formats had to sit out of the tournament following a one year ban imposed on him. Smith's ban was shocking for the fans and the owners of the Rajasthan Royals.

The Australian was one of the crucial players in the Royals' setup before the team got suspended in 2016. Smith was appointed as the captain of the team for this season before Ajinkya Rahane was handed over his duties. Smith's record as a captain in the IPL has been phenomenal. He led Rising Pune Supergiant in the 2017 season where his team finished 2nd on the points table after winning 9 of the 14 matches.

He played a crucial role in Rising Pune Supergiant reaching the final of the tournament in last season. In the 2017 season, he scored 472 runs in 15 matches at an average of 39.33 and a strike rate of 121.96.

Smith was expected to bring his experience to the Rajasthan Royals this season but things took an ugly root and he is certainly being missed by the team and the fans.

#1 Mitchell Starc

Mitchell Starc, the Australian fast bowler is one of the best bowlers in the world across formats. Kolkata Knight Riders shelled out a whopping Rs. 9.4 crore to secure the services of the Australian. Starc's injury came as a big setback for the team who had relied on the pacer to lead the bowling attack.

Tom Curran was signed as a replacement for Starc but the England bowler has not lived up to the expectations of the team. In the 5 matches that he has played so far, he has taken 6 wickets at an economy of 11.60. His economy is one of the biggest concerns for the team who are lacking a death bowler.

Starc has missed the IPL for the third time in a row. He earlier played for Royal Challengers Bangalore who badly missed his services in the previous two seasons. Kolkata Knight Riders who are suffering this year as most of their fast bowlers are leaking runs and the team has to rely on spinners.

Mitchell Starc would have strengthened the Kolkata Knight Riders bowling attack and may have saved a lot of runs in the death overs.