The 18th IPL season ended with RCB finally winning their maiden title, beating PBKS in a thrilling final. While young stars like Vaibhav Suryavanshi dazzled, several big names failed to deliver. Here’s a look at the Worst XI of IPL 2025—featuring players who underperformed despite high expectations.
1. Rachin Ravindra
After topping the run charts in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, expectations were sky-high for Ravindra. However, he failed to carry that form into the IPL. In eight games for CSK, he scored 191 runs at 27.28 with a strike rate of 128.18—his best, an unbeaten 65, came in the opener. What followed were a series of underwhelming outings.
2. Quinton de Kock
KKR’s gamble on de Kock for ₹3.6 crore backfired. Despite a standout 97* against Rajasthan Royals, he managed just 55 runs across the other seven innings—ending the season with 152 runs in eight innings.
3. Venkatesh Iyer
Bought for a whopping ₹23.75 crore, Iyer’s return of 142 runs in 11 matches at 20.28 was disastrous. His high price tag only intensified the criticism in IPL 2025, especially after KKR let go of captain Shreyas Iyer to bring him back.
4. Rishabh Pant (c & wk)
5. Glenn Maxwell
Punjab Kings signed Maxwell for ₹4.2 crore, hoping for explosive returns. Instead, he scored just 48 runs in seven matches at an average of 8 and took four wickets. Once again, he failed to justify the hype.
6. Rinku Singh
KKR’s finishing hope, Rinku underwhelmed in IPL 2025 with just 206 runs from 10 innings, failing to cross fifty even once. His best was an unbeaten 38, and his inability to finish games hurt KKR.
7. Rashid Khan
Arguably the worst season of Rashid’s IPL career. Nine wickets in 15 matches at an economy of 9.34, and just 40 runs with the bat, marked a steep decline—possibly influenced by his return from injury.
8. Ravichandran Ashwin
Back with CSK for ₹9.75 crore, Ashwin had little impact. He was dropped midway through the season, finishing with seven wickets in nine games at an economy of 9.12 and contributing just 33 runs.
9. Mohammed Shami
SRH brought in Shami for ₹10 crore post-injury, but he looked far from his best. In nine matches, he took only six wickets, leaked runs at 11.23 per over, and had an average of 56.16.
10. Ravi Bishnoi
11. Mohit Sharma
Once GT’s death-overs hero, Mohit flopped for Delhi Capitals after being bought for ₹2.2 crore. He took just two wickets in eight matches, with an economy of 10.28 and a shocking bowling average of 128.50.
