Rishabh Pant named captain in 'IPL 2025 frauds and scammers' team; Ashwin, Venkatesh included in Iceland Cricket's post
Based on the worst performances in the current season, they picked a playing XI and an impact player and called it the "IPL 2025 frauds and scammers team."
Iceland Cricket's official social media handle, which has gained a reputation for sharing blunt posts on cricketing matters, took the internet by storm on Monday as it shared a bizarre post on the ongoing IPL 2025. Based on the worst performances in the current season, they picked a playing XI and an impact player and called it the "IPL 2025 frauds and scammers team."
The team of 12 comprised five players from the Chennai Super Kings, two from Sunrisers Hyderabad and one each from Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants. The team also comprised two of three costliest buys in IPL history - Venkatesh Iyer (INR 23.75 crore) and Rishabh Pant (INR 27 crore). The latter was named the captain and wicketkeeper of the team.
CSK's Rahul Tripathi and Rachin Ravindra were picked as openers, with Ishan Kishan and Pant completing the top-order lineup. Iyer accompanied overseas stars Glenn Maxwell and Liam Livingstone to complete the middle-order lineup, with Deepak Hooda, picked as the finisher.
The bowling lineup comprised one specialist spinner in, R Ashwin and two fast bowlers - Matheesha Pathirana and Mohammed Shami. Delhi Capitals' Mukesh Kumar was picked as the 12th man.
The captioned the post on X: “On a rain day in Reyjavík, we give you our IPL 2025 frauds and scammers team: R Tripathi, R Ravindra, I Kishan, R Pant (c & wk), V Iyer, G Maxwell, L Livingstone, D Hooda, R Ashwin, M Pathirana, M Shami; No impact player: M Kumar.”
Forgettable season for Pant, Iyer
The pressure of the price tag had two more victims in the IPL as Pant and Iyer incurred a forgettable 2025 season thus far. The KKR batter, who was named the vice-captain of the defending champions, managed only 142 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 139.22, with one fifty-plus score. Pant managed 14 runs less in as many games at a strike rate of just 99.22.
Incidentally, both their teams are struggling in the race to make the playoffs. Both have five wins in 11 games, but KKR stand one place ahead in the points table, at sixth, owing to a drawn game against Punjab Kings following a wash-out in Chandigarh late last month.
