IPL 2018: 4 extremely cheap buys who performed beyond expectations on their debuts

Just like any other installment of the annual Indian cricketing fiesta, IPL 2018 has already offered us some unexpected surprises. Some of the hot prospects like D'Arcy Short and Evin Lewis, whom everyone expected to hit the ground running have failed to attract eyeballs with their first impression.

On the contrary, some of the comparatively lesser-known hidden gems have shown their true colors, leaving their owners in a state of unbridled joy and other owners scratching their heads for missing out on them.

Here's a list of 4 cricketers whose performance isn't at par with their extremely low salary:

#4 Billy Stanlake (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

The tall and lanky Australian pacer had previously played just 2 IPL games, in which he conceded 70 runs at an economy rate of just under 9 runs per over, and picked up only a couple of wickets. As a result, very few expected Stanlake to attract many bidders, and Sunrisers Hyderabad picked him for just Rs 50 lakhs.

Stanlake wasn't expected to a member of Hyderabad's playing XI, but he did feature in SRH's first match against Rajasthan Royals and justified his place. He conceded just 29 runs in 4 overs and picked up the crucial wicket of Ben Stokes. He surprised everyone with his pace, and his 145.6 kmph bullet might still haunt Rahul Tripathi.