Big names reduced to the bench! Despite expectations worth crores, these Indian players remained yearning for a chance throughout IPL 2026

New Delhi . The Indian Premier League 2026 season has reached its final phase. This time, many young players made headlines by performing brilliantly in the tournament, but on the other hand, there were some famous Indian players who did not even get a chance to take the field in the entire season. There were a lot of expectations among the fans regarding these players, but the team management continuously ignored them. The players who were added by the teams after spending lakhs of rupees in the league worth crores of rupees, were seen sitting only in the dugout in most of the matches. The most discussion was about Prithvi Shaw, who was once considered the future of Indian cricket. Prithvi Shaw, known for his explosive batting, did not get a chance to play a single match this season. His form has been under constant questioning for some time now, the impact of which was clearly visible on his IPL journey. Prithvi, who was once worth crores, became a part of the team this time for a very low amount, but despite this he did not get a place in the playing eleven. This situation is considered to be a matter of concern for his career.

The name of experienced fast bowler Ishant Sharma was also included among those players who remained sitting on the bench throughout the season. Ishant was not given a chance due to young bowlers continuously getting priority. Despite his long experience and excellent record in international cricket, he could not find a place in the team combination. His performance in the last season was also not as per the expectations, after which the team management showed more confidence in the new players. Similarly, young all-rounder Musheer Khan also had to wait the entire season. Musheer, who has consistently performed brilliantly in domestic cricket, is being considered a big player of the future, but he did not get an opportunity to prove himself on a big stage like IPL. The team definitely kept him in the squad, but he was not included in the playing eleven.

Arjun Tendulkar was also in the news this season, but his wait on the field was not over. There has been constant discussion about him for the last few years, but he has not been able to get regular opportunities. This time, after joining the new team, it was expected that Arjun would get more opportunities, but despite passing the entire season, he could not make it to the playing eleven. This clearly shows that the team management is still not seeing him as a fully prepared player. On the other hand, experienced batsman Rahul Tripathi also kept waiting for his turn this season. Rahul, famous for his aggressive batting, has been struggling with poor form for the last few seasons. This was the reason why he was continuously ignored and younger players were given more opportunities.

In a big tournament like IPL, where every player wants to prove himself, sitting on the bench for the entire season has a big impact on the confidence of any cricketer. The coming times are going to be very important for these players. If they perform well in domestic cricket and in the upcoming occasions, then only they will be able to win the trust of the teams again. IPL 2026 has made it clear that now not just the name, but consistent performance has become the real identity of the players.