IPL 2025: Team-wise one most underused player of the season

The 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has come to an end, and the fans have witnessed some incredible players in the tournament who have given some great performances in the last couple of months or so. While some players managed to find some form or get to showcase their talent, there were some players who were unlucky not to get opportunities like this.

This season also saw some players who were underused this season and did not get enough opportunities to prove themselves in the tournament. All the teams have had that one player who was completely underutilised this season. Some memorable names in this list have proved themselves in the tournament as well.

It is time to discuss who is the most underused player from all ten IPL franchises, and who the fans expected to see more of this season. These players were not only ignored by the teams, but also sidelined after they had given some impressive performances in the limited opportunities . The underutilisation of these players has also led to fans and experts questioning the tactics of the teams as well.

Most underused players from each IPL franchise this season:

1. Jacob Bethell (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)

This was a dream season for the Bengaluru franchise, where they finally went on to win their first-ever title in the tournament’s 17-year-long history. Though most of the tactics by the Men in Red proved to be successful, there was one tactic that was slightly questionable, where the team chose to back an out-of-form Liam Livingstone ahead of Jacob Bethell. The young English all-rounder was dropped after two games despite a great innings against the Chennai Super Kings as well. The move to bench Bethell was heavily scrutinized by fans and experts alike who believed he deserved more games for the Rajat Patidar-led side.

2. Harpreet Brar (Punjab Kings)

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) might have had a solid pace attack this year, but lacked another attacking spin option apart from Yuzvendra Chahal. It was shocking to see Harpreet Brar get only eight games this season despite being a regular for the franchise in the last two years. Brar was not only a capable left-arm spinner but could also contribute a bit with the bat as well. It was one of the rare decisions made by Ricky Ponting and Shreyas Iyer, who are known to be one of the best tactical minds in the game of cricket.

3.  Karn Sharma (Mumbai Indians)

The Mumbai Indians did have a decent season in IPL 2025, and though they were not able to lift the title, the franchise backed their senior and young players within the squad. However, Karn Sharma was not played as much and despite giving some great performances in the crucial stages of the game, he remained on the sidelines more often. The Uttar Pradesh-born is one of the most experienced campaigners in the tournament, and his experience and skill could have come in handy if used efficiently by the Mumbai franchise.

4. Washington Sundar (Gujarat Titans)

The Gujarat Titans might have had a great season, but they have made some questionable decisions, which could have been one of the reasons why they were slightly off their game in crucial games towards the fag end of the season. One of the top players who was underused by the Titans was all-rounder Washington Sundar. The Tamil Nadu-born did manage to show a bit of his talent with the bat, but barely got to show his skill with the ball. It is safe to say GT missed the trick by not realizing the potential Sundar brought to the table.

5.  Sameer Rizvi (Delhi Capitals)

The Delhi Capitals were set to be one of the top teams in the first half, but the second half saw them fall down the pecking order. While there were a lot of players, the Capitals could have used one of the promising players who were ignored for the majority of the season was Sameer Rizvi. Despite playing only five games, the Uttar Pradesh batter maintained an average of 40.33 and had a strike rate of 153.16. The DC top order was struggling a bit in the second half, and some experts thought that he could have been moved up the order eventually.

6.  Rahul Chahar (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

The Sunrisers Hyderabad were claimed to be the favourites to win the tournament before the start of the tournament, by failed to live up to the hype. One of the players who was ignored this season by the Orange Army was Rahul Chahar, who only got one game this season. Chahar, who not only has experience but has won the tournament twice in 2019 and 2020. He could also have been another attacking wicket-taking option for the Hyderabad franchise.

7.  Shahbaz Ahmed (Lucknow Super Giants)

The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) tactics have been questioned a lot this season. One of the biggest factors that has affected their season was their bowling attack, which has been continuously leaking runs in the games. One of the players who was underused by the franchise was Shahbaz Ahmed, who could have easily been a first-choice option in place of Ravi Bishnoi, who was struggling this year. Shahbaz could also play some crucial cameos with the bat, which could have added some depth to the squad as well.

8. Manish Pandey (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Manish Pandey earned his reputation by becoming the first Indian to score a century in the IPL when he represented RCB. Later, among the many teams he played for, he became a vital cog for Kolkata Knight Riders. He was brought by KKR ahead of the 2025 season as well, but he barely got any chances in the defending champions’ playing combination. He got to feature in three games in the season, and played a promising knock as well, but the side did not believe much in his batting prowess. KKR could have tried Pandey over Rinku Singh and Venkatesh Iyer, who lacked consistency despite being invested heavily in.

9.  Akash Madhwal (Rajasthan Royals)

The Rajasthan Royals have had one of their worst seasons in IPL history, where a lot of decisions made by the franchise were questioned. Though the Royals are known to promote some young players within their team, one of the players they missed out on is Uttarakhand star pacer Akash Madhwal. The 31-year-old is known for his incredible yorkers and variations and has won games for Mumbai Indians in the previous season. Madhwal only got four games in 2025 and could have been the perfect first-change seamer for the side that the team was missing.

10. Sam Curran (Chennai Super Kings)

There have been many mistakes that have resulted in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) having a debacle of a season. Some talented prospects were barely used by the five-time champions, one of them being the English all-rounder Sam Curran. Curran only played five games in 2025 despite his ability to win games with both bat and ball. The MS Dhoni-led side missed a lot of flair in their batting line-up and did not have a bowler whom they could trust in the death overs as Matheesha Pathirana was having a tough time initially. Curran was more than capable of solving all these problems, but it wasn’t meant to be.

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