The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League saw several marquee players struggle to justify their reputation and price tags. While 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi lit up the tournament with the most runs, and South African pacer Kagiso Rabada finished as the leading wicket-taker, a number of established stars endured disappointing campaigns. Several prominent international cricketers also feature in this underwhelming list.
For our IPL 2026 Flop XI, the opening pair consists of Lucknow Super Giants’ Aiden Markram and Mumbai Indians’ Suryakumar Yadav. Signed by LSG for ₹2 crore, Markram managed only 231 runs in 12 matches and failed to score a single half-century during the season.
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Suryakumar, meanwhile, could score just 270 runs, making it his poorest IPL season since 2018.
The middle order includes Chennai Super Kings batter Dewald Brevis, Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant, Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Jitesh Sharma, and Gujarat Titans finisher Rahul Tewatia. Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya and Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel also find themselves in this unwanted XI, highlighting how even franchise leaders struggled to make an impact this season.
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The bowling attack is led by none other than Jasprit Bumrah, a bowler widely regarded among the best in world cricket. He is joined by Trent Boult and Varun Chakravarthy, both of whom failed to produce the performances expected of them. Lucknow Super Giants’ Nicholas Pooran has been named the Impact Player in this Flop XI.
IPL 2026 Flop XI
Aiden Markram
Suryakumar Yadav
Dewald Brevis
Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper)
Jitesh Sharma
Rahul Tewatia
Hardik Pandya (Captain)
Axar Patel
Jasprit Bumrah
Trent Boult
Varun Chakravarthy
Impact Player: Nicholas Pooran
Together, these players represent some of the biggest disappointments of IPL 2026, having fallen well short of the expectations placed upon them by their franchises and fans alike.
