IPL 2018: 3 biggest flops in IPL history
IPL is a fiercely competed league, made up of some of the biggest names in cricket. Some players have gone on to do great things in the IPL and have earned a place in the hearts and minds of millions of fans. However, some have not had the same success and have struggled to cope with the pressure of the league.
There have been a few players who were full of promise when they burst on to the scene but failed to impress. This article looks at three players who have failed in the IPL when they were bought at a high price and did not justify their price tag at all, or in other words, the biggest flops in IPL history.
#3 Andrew Flintoff in 2009
The charismatic England all-rounder was snapped up by the Chennai Super Kings for the 2009 edition of the IPL. Flintoff fetched a very high price of $1.55 million, which made him the joint most expensive player of all time (that has since changed). However, Flintoff's IPL career never really took off.
In his debut match against the Mumbai Indians, Flintoff got hit for 4-0-44-1 against a side that contained Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar. A small cameo of 24 off 23 did not really alleviate the humiliation he suffered. Flintoff had a much better game for CSK, taking one wicket for eleven runs and scoring a quick unbeaten 22 at the end of the innings.
His third match though was his last. He bowled one of the most expensive spells of all time with 4-0-50-0 and then again struggled with the bat, making just 16 off 17. This was a poor effort for a player of such high calibre. After this, he flew back from the IPL to have knee surgery and has since called playing in the IPL 'a waste of time'.