IPL 2022 Auction: 3 expensive players who have flopped in the history of the tournament
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been a pioneer for T20 franchise leagues around the globe. With revenue streams and cash generation hitting new highs every single year, there is no doubt that the IPL is the grandest T20 tournament of all.
With the amount of money coming into the game, the franchises are willing to shell out millions for the services of players at the auction. Andrew Flintoff was the most expensive player at the 2009 auction, with CSK bidding INR 7.55 crore for the England all-rounder.
In the latest season, Chris Morris became the most expensive player in IPL auction history. The Rajasthan Royals shelled out INR 16.25 crore for the South African. This was also the first time four players were sold for over INR 14 crores at one IPL auction.
However, franchises don't always get returns on the value they pay for a player. While some expensive signings have been extremely successful in justifying their price tag, there are a few signings that can be counted in the 'hit-or-miss' category.
On that note, let's take a look at three expensive players who have flopped in the history of the IPL.
#1 Yuvraj Singh (The most expensive IPL player in 2015)
A legend in his own right, Yuvraj Singh is undoubtedly one of India's best match-winners in modern history. The Punjab all-rounder played a huge role in India's victories in the 2007 T20 World Cup and also in the 2011 World Cup.
However, Yuvraj was unable to leave a lasting impression in the IPL. Yuvraj attracted bids totalling INR 48.10 crore over six auctions, including a whopping INR 16 crore bid from the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in 2015.
In the 2015 season, Yuvraj Singh mustered just 248 runs in 14 innings at an average of 19.07 and a strike rate of 118.09. While personal ailments hampered his progress, Yuvraj will go down as one of the - what could have been - flops of the tournament.
#2 Pat Cummins
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spent INR 15.50 crore on Australian pacer Pat Cummins at the IPL auction in 2020. Cummins only got 12 wickets in 14 matches in that IPL season, failing to provide the wicket-taking prowess for which KKR spent all the big bucks.
Cummins managed to provide something with the bat, scoring one half-century in the tournament and aggregating 146 runs in 14 matches. KKR missed out on a playoff spot that season, with Cummins failing to create the desired impact on the side's performances.
#3 Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes was the most expensive buy in the IPL in 2018. Coming off an impressive campaign with the Rising Pune Supergiant the previous year, the Rajasthan Royals splashed INR 12.5 crore for the England all-rounder.
By his high standards, Stokes had a torrid time in the IPL, scoring only 196 runs and an average of 16.33 and a strike rate of 121.73. The all-rounder couldn't make much of an impact with the ball either, with just eight wickets from his 13 matches at an economy rate of 8.18.
While Stokes found his best form in the the 2020 season, he was ruled out of the IPL 2021 after a finger injury in Rajasthan's first match of the tournament. He played just one game this season.