So far, the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) has presented a wide range of locations, conditions, and challenges for all ten teams.
Spinners are essential weapons in T20 cricket, and this year has been no exception. Rashid Khan, Piyush Chawla, and Yuzvendra Chahal are among the top five Purple Cap chart performers. Others on the hunt include Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Ravichandran Ashwin.
Some spinners, though, have struggled to produce this year. A few tweakers haven’t been able to generate consistent breakthroughs, either owing to a lack of form or because their home venue isn’t necessarily supporting them.
Here are three Indian spinners who have failed to get wickets in the IPL 2023 thus far.
3) Washington Sundar – SRH
Washington Sundar’s body has simply not held up in the last year or two. Unfortunately, Sundar has been ruled out of the IPL 2023 due to a hamstring injury, leaving the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) with a hole to fill in the lower-middle order.
Sundar, on the other hand, found it difficult to be at his most perceptive when playing for the Orange Army. Due to skipper Aiden Markram’s lack of trust in his bowling, the off-spinner went wicketless in his first six games.
Sundar eventually took a few wickets, taking three in a single over against the Delhi Capitals (DC). He was ruled out shortly after that. His competition numbers were three wickets from seven matches at an economy rate of 8.26.
2) Rahul Chahar – PBKS
Since joining the Punjab Kings (PBKS) during the mega-auction, Rahul Chahar has been an essential part of the team. However, he has not been able to replicate the form he shown for the Mumbai Indians (MI) this season.
Chahar has played 10 games in the IPL 2023 and has only three wickets. He hasn’t taken more than one wicket in a single game with economy of 8.32.
Chahar is currently a bit away from the Indian T20I system, and based on his recent performances, he may have moved even farther away.
1) Kumar Kartikeya – MI
Kumar Kartikeya was one of the IPL 2022’s breakout talents. The left-arm spinner showed his arsenal’s variety of variations while also having a successful domestic season across formats.
On the other hand Kartikeya has had a difficult year. In four MI matches, the 25-year-old has only two wickets at an economy rate of 7.76. His variations haven’t been very effective, and he’s struggled to get his lines and lengths quite right.
Kartikeya looks to be behind Raghav Goyal in the fight to be MI’s backup spinner, with Piyush Chawla succeeding. Hrithik Shokeen is another alternative, and even if Kartikeya returns to the starting XI, he would need to take a lot of wickets to justify his inclusion.