Iceland Cricket Names IPL 2025's Biggest Disappointments with 'Frauds and Scammers' Team

As the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) moves closer to its knockout phase, several star players have fallen short of the high expectations from them. While franchises such as Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Rajasthan Royals have already fallen out of contention for the top four, franchises such as Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai Indians, and Gujarat Titans are still in good positions. Though there has been thrill and recall-worthy performances by many players, numerous others have let their fans and teams down, causing frustration to both fans and teams.

One organization which has not hesitated to publicly deride these flops is Iceland Cricket. Never one to be hesitant in making tongue-in-cheek jokes on social media, Iceland Cricket recently gave the flops of IPL 2025 a tongue-in-cheek roast. In one of their recent tweets, they introduced their "Frauds and Scammers" team, giving a list of some players who were unable to meet the lofty expectations people had from them.

The squad, which was announced on a rainy Reykjavik day, consists of some prominent names who have been severely criticized for their poor performances this season. Some of the players announced include Rishabh Pant, who was acquired for a whopping Rs 27 crore by Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2025 mega auction. Though so heavy a price, Pant's performances have not been anything but average, averaging slightly more than 12 in the tournament. Never has he delivered a match-winning innings, rendering him the greatest flop of the season, says Iceland Cricket.

Along with Pant, there were a number of other players also included in this "Frauds and Scammers" side. Ishan Kishan, another highly touted player, has not delivered in the tournament. He, like several others, was anticipated to be one of the top performers for his side but has not been able to prove his worth in the IPL yet. Ravichandran Ashwin, the veteran off-spinner, also found himself on the list despite being among the most famous players in the league. His performances have been poor, raising doubts about whether he has lost his spark.

The same applies to Venkatesh Iyer, who was also a game-changer candidate, who failed to regain his form, as is the case with Glenn Maxwell. Maxwell's attacking play and flair had earned him the popularity of fans in earlier seasons, but he has failed to leave his impact in IPL 2025. Along with such underperformers, other high-profile players like Rahul Tripathi, Rachin Ravindra, Mohammed Shami, and Matheesa Pathirana have all been included as part of this tongue-in-cheek team by Iceland Cricket.

Iceland Cricket's post didn't end there. They jokingly added a sentence about the "No impact player," who was Mohammad Kumar. Although this add-on was light-hearted rather than anything else, it is just how much some of these players have missed expectations.

The reason for this daring step by Iceland Cricket appears to be their frustration with the manner in which the IPL has gone for these players. With the high stakes and pressure of the tournament, most players were purchased for huge amounts with the hope that they would guide their teams to victory. But the reality has been otherwise, with most failing to deliver when it counts the most.

In professional sports, there is always the danger of players not performing at their best, but more so when in the limelight. But fame and the amount of money involved in the IPL indicate that the pressure to deliver is very high. For players such as Pant and others on the list, the onus might lie with a mix of the following - form and fitness as well as mental pressure and the team environment. Whatever the justification, the consequence has been the same: lost opportunities, poor performances, and irked fans.

With the tournament nearing its conclusion, the players will try to make amends, but until then, they are the object of jokes and memes all over the cricketing universe. Whether or not they can change things is to be seen. For the moment, however, Iceland Cricket's good-natured squad of "Frauds and Scammers" is a light-hearted reminder of the great things that the IPL brings, and the penalties of failing to meet them.