When the IPL was launched amidst much fanfare in 2008 fans were excited at the prospect of their players going under the hammer for the IPL auctions. Right since the inception of the league, players have been excited and anxious in equal measure knowing about the salaries they will be drawing during the IPL. At times the exorbitant IPL salaries have got the better of the players and they have often underperformed as compared to the price tag they received.
StumpsandBails brings to you a list of few expensive players who flopped terribly in the IPL
#5 Andrew Flintoff (CSK 2009, INR 7.5 crores)
Andrew Flintoff was snapped up by the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2009 player auctions. He was the joint highest-paid cricketer along with Kevin Pietersen in the auction at that time. But Flintoff known for his exploits with both bat and the ball couldn’t really deliver for CSK. He played just 3 games for the franchise and never looked settled while playing for them. If Flintoff had worked for CSK, they would have been a far more lethal side during that phase.
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#4 Kevin Pietersen (RCB 2009, INR 7.5 crores)
When Kevin Pietersen was bought by Vijay Mallya (then) owner of Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2009 for a whopping INR 7.5 crores, he quipped that Pietersen is the best batsman in the world currently and his price tag is justified. The RCB franchise had even appointed Pietersen as their captain for the season but he failed miserably in his limited appearances for the side. He eventually left the team to play for his national side and RCB had rightly appointed Anil Kumble as their captain and the move paid immediate dividends.
#3 Glenn Maxwell (KXIP 2020, INR 10.75 crores)
Glenn Maxwell has been an enigma for the cricketing world. He is one of those players who can change the fate of the game in a matter of few overs. There hasn’t been an IPL season since Maxwell entered the cricketing scene that he hasn’t been a talking point. While he singlehandedly carried the KXIP team to their maiden final in 2014, he has been a downer in the rest of the IPL seasons. When KXIP bought Maxwell for a whopping INR 10.75 crores, it seemed a solid investment. But Maxwell failed spectacularly. He failed to hit a single six right through the tournament. Maxwell could score just above 100 runs in 13 innings for KXIP and he was one of the major disappointments of the last season.
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#2 Jaydev Unadkat (RR, 2018, INR 11.5 crores)
The Saurashtra left-arm fast bowler, Jaydev Unadkat had a dream IPL in 2017 when he represented the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant. He picked up 24 wickets in 12 games at a brilliant average of 13.41. His impressive IPL display earned him an India cap in T20Is. Owing to his rich exploits, Unadkat went for a massive price of INR 11.5 crores in 2018 when he was picked by the Rajasthan Royals. But that price tag played heavily on Unadkat’s mind as he failed to deliver for RR across the season. He was consistently mocked for his price tag and his inability to come to terms with the salary pressure.
#1 Yuvraj Singh (DD 2015, INR 16 crores)
If there has been one player who could not come to the party in the IPL with his game then that player undoubtedly is Yuvraj Singh. He led sides, he was the X-factor player for most IPL teams he played but he could never really set the IPL stage on fire. Delhi Daredevils brought Yuvraj Singh for a massive INR of 16 crores in IPL 2015. This is the highest amount a franchise has ever paid a player and the record still holds. But sadly Yuvraj Singh could only manage 248 runs in 14 matches. It effectively meant Yuvraj Singh was paid a mind-numbing INR 6.45 lakhs for every run he scored in IPL 2015.
