4 Players Who Need to Step Up After Week 1 of Indian Premier League

The Indian Premier League hasn’t exactly been a thrill-a-minute, but it has had some exciting moments. Yet a few of the so-called “star players” haven’t quite lived up to expectations.

Sure, it’s still very early in the tournament, but when you have a reputation to live up to, standards are always high.

As we head into the second week of the IPL, we take a look at some of the players who should deliver some fireworks this week.

Who do you think needs to do better? Add your thoughts in the comments.

Chris Gayle

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Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman Chris Gayle is bowled by Deccan Chargers bowler Dale Steyn during the IPL Twenty20 cricket match between Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on May 20, 2012

While there is no doubt Chris Gayle is a thrill to watch when he is on song, he has somewhat underperformed by his high standards.

He is yet to get out of single figures, contributing one and nought in two fixtures so far for Royal Challengers Bangalore.

While a mind-blowing performance is never too far away for Gayle, fans will be just a tad disappointed that he has not managed to follow up on that incredible hundred he hit against England during the recently concluded World Twenty20.

Mitchell Johnson

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Pitches in the Indian Premier League aren't exactly kind to fast bowlers, but Mitchell Johnson has had a horror show.

In two games for Kings XI Punjab, he has bowled just seven overs and conceded 63 runs for just one wicket. His average is 63.00 and economy rate 9.00.

Sometimes you just have a bad day at the office, but Johnson is a much better player than his current record.

He has struggled to make an impact up front and will need to find is rhythm if he wants to continue playing a leading role in this year’s edition of the IPL.

Kevin Pietersen

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Like Chris Gayle, Kevin Pietersen can be an absolute joy to watch when he is in form. But he's not quite hit form in this year's IPL yet.

In three matches for the Rising Pune Supergiants, he has scored a total of 73 runs, with his highest score being 37.

In context, he probably couldn't have done much better than the unbeaten 21 he hit in Pune's opening fixture (simply because there were no more runs left to hit as Pune strolled to an easy win over Mumbai), but big-name players with big reputations like Pietersen are expected to announce their arrival at a tournament with a bang, and he’s not quite managed that yet.

Brendon McCullum

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Brendon McCullum might just be out of practice since he retired from international cricket, but his IPL exploits for the Kolkata Knight Riders have been mixed to date.

Although he came close to a half century (49) against the Supergiants, he scored a duck and six in the fixtures either side of that.

Considering he is among the best T20 players in the world, these scores seem a little bit below his standards.