Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah (Source: AFP)
The IPL 2026 season came to an exciting end as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) successfully defended their title by defeating Gujarat Titans (GT) in the final. The tournament was filled with high-scoring games, thrilling finishes and several controversies that kept fans talking throughout the season.
While many youngsters grabbed the spotlight with impressive performances, some of India’s biggest stars failed to deliver when their teams needed them the most.
Here is a look at the five biggest Indian flops of IPL 2026.
1.) Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah, widely regarded as one of the best fast bowlers, faced one of the toughest seasons of his IPL career.
The Mumbai Indians pacer managed only 4 wickets in 13 matches, with an economy rate of 8.36. Although the economy rate was respectable in a season dominated by batters, Jasprit Bumrah’s inability to take wickets proved costly for Mumbai Indians.
His bowling average of 102.50 was the worst of his IPL career. He entered the tournament carrying a minor injury concern from the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, and reports suggested that his workload was carefully managed throughout the season.
2.) Suryakumar Yadav
Another Mumbai Indians player who had a disappointing season was Suryakumar Yadav. The Indian T20I captain could not replicate his explosive batting performances and struggled for consistency throughout IPL 2026.
In 13 innings, Suryakumar scored only 270 runs at an average of 20.76 and a strike rate of 147.54. While the strike rate remained decent, he managed only two half-centuries and failed to convert starts into big scores.
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His struggles were not limited to the IPL. Earlier in the year, he also had a below-par T20 World Cup campaign, scoring 242 runs in 9 matches at an average of 30.25 and a strike rate of 136.72.
3.) Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant failed to justify his price tag and endured another disappointing season in IPL 2026. He scored 312 runs in 14 matches and struggled to find consistency throughout the tournament.
What made matters worse for Rishabh Pant was that Lucknow Super Giants became the first team to be eliminated from the tournament.
This was his second consecutive poor IPL season after scoring only 269 runs in IPL 2025. Following another disappointing campaign, Pant decided to step away from the captaincy role.
4.) Ruturaj Gaikwad
Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad began IPL 2026 with plenty of expectations. However, the season did not go according to plan for either him or his team.
Gaikwad scored 337 runs in 14 matches at an average of 28.08 and a strike rate of 123.44. While the numbers were not terrible, they were far below the standards expected from a top-order batter leading a franchise like CSK.
One of the biggest concerns was his slow scoring rate, especially during the powerplay overs. His cautious approach often put pressure on the middle order to accelerate later in the innings.
5.) Arshdeep Singh
Punjab Kings fast bowler Arshdeep Singh also had a disappointing IPL 2026 season. Although he picked up 14 wickets in 14 matches, his overall impact was far below expectations.
Arshdeep finished the season with an average of 38.64 and an expensive economy rate of 10.21. He produced a few good performances but struggled to maintain consistency across the tournament.
The left-arm pacer leaked runs during the powerplay and death overs. Frequent wides and no-balls hurt Punjab Kings in several matches.
As one of the star bowlers in the squad, he was expected to support the likes of Lockie Ferguson and Marco Jansen, but he could not provide the control and breakthroughs the team needed.
Apart from his performances, Arshdeep also found himself involved in multiple controversies during the season.
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