IPL 2018: One player from each team who should be dropped from the starting XI

The IPL season is up and running and almost all the teams have played 5 games each. That is more than enough time for a coach to get his first XI right but still, there are a few who have done nothing significant and are still in the playing XI.

Playing these players time and again and not giving a chance to the ones on the bench will not turn out to be a good thing for the franchises.

Without further ado, here are the players who need to be dropped from the starting XI of each time:

DD – Vijay Shankar

The 3.2 crore signing has not proved that he is worth the amount paid for him. The Tamil Nadu all-rounder has not hit the ground running and needs to be dropped for a few games.

In his 4 games this season, Vijay has scored 18 runs (3 innings). His strike rate is just 90 and that's not what you want in a T20 player.

Manjot Kalra should be given a chance to play. He can open the innings with Gautam Gambhir if needed and also chip in with a few overs as well.

SRH – Yusuf Pathan

Yusuf Pathan

Yusuf Pathan can easily be labelled the most inconsistent big hitter in IPL. The Baroda man can go berserk on his day but on his off days, he goes completely missing.

He has scored just 50 runs in his 4 innings this season and has been the weak link in the side that has been performing so well. He could not deliver for them when they needed him the most vs Kings XI Punjab the other night as well.

The 35-year-old should be dropped for the next game and a youngster needs to be given a chance.

RR – Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler has scored 104 runs in 5 innings this season at an average of 26 but he disrupts the team's balance. With him starting, RR are not able to fit in an extra bowler and end up playing 2-3 wicketkeepers in the XI.

Sanju Samson or Heinrich Klaasen can be the wicketkeeper with Jofra Archer replacing Buttler in the starting XI. This will let Rahul Tripathi open the innings as well and the team will be more balanced.

Rajasthan have been conceding a lot of runs of late and need a bowler like Archer to deliver some good overs at the death. He can be a finisher as well for them and take the pressure off Ben Stokes.

KKR – Chris Lynn

Chris Lynn

Chris Lynn with a shoulder brace isn't able to do even 50% of what a fully fit Lynn is capable of. Knight Riders need to drop him for a couple of games and give him some much-needed rest.

This will help the Aussie to recover a little and get back to his best. The move will also give them a chance try Javon Searles or Cameron Delport in the starting XI.

They can be the surprise package of this team and help them qualify for the playoffs.

MI – Kieron Pollard

Kieron Pollard

Kieron Pollard is (or was) one of the best T20 players in the world. But now, he seems to have lost his golden touch.

Age is catching up and he has been unable to perform at the level he did for the last few seasons. Mumbai Indians are suffering because of this as the West Indian all-rounder has not contributed with the bat or ball.

JP Duminy or Adam Milne needs to be given a chance in his place.

KXIP – Aaron Finch

Aaron Finch

With Mayank Agarwal and Chris Gayle going crazy at the top of the order, Aaron Finch has been forced to play in the middle order. That has not brought out the best in the Aussie and he has been unable to contribute.

Kings XI Punjab have a lot of firepower in the squad and should take the brave decision of dropping the Aussie star. David Miller is a proven finisher in IPL and can be the ideal replacement.

They can also give Marcus Stoinis another chance in the starting XI.

RCB – Sarfaraz Khan

Sarfaraz Khan

Sarfaraz's form this season has surprised a lot of people. He is one of the most talented youngsters in the country right now but is missing the spark.

He was dropped for RCB's match vs Rajasthan Royals but was brought back into the side for their match vs Mumbai Indians. The Royal Challengers ended up losing both games and Sarfaraz's presence made no difference.

The 20-year-old should be given some time on the bench so that he can sharpen his skills once more and get back to his best. The best is yet to come and dropping him will ensure he works harder and makes a great comeback.

CSK – Ravindra Jadeja

What's going on?

Chennai Super Kings retained Ravindra Jadeja ahead of Ravichandran Ashwin before the auctions and that raised a few eyebrows. CSK fans, however, were confident that the Saurashtra man would be a good pick.

4 games into the season and Jadeja is yet to do anything significant. He did hit a huge six to win the game vs Kolkata Knight Riders but that's about it.

He's done nothing with the ball or bat aside from that. Chennai should take a gamble and play Karn Sharma if they need an extra bowler or Murali Vijay as an extra batsman in his place.

Our tournament homepage has IPL live score, Match Analysis, Detailed Stats, Fantasy Tips, Controversies, Match Predictions and much more. Bookmark it now!