IPL has become the most popular cricket league in the world because of its unique format and high competition level. Recently, IPL 2020’s first match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings became the most-watched first match of any sporting league of the world, which shows the craze of this tournament.
The IPL Auction preceding the competition is considered the most important part of the league because the team management’s performance in the auction plays a 20% role in the team’s win. The on-field performances matter the most, but the squad should have ample resources to win the IPL. Sometimes, a franchise wants a player badly and they go after him all out in the auction.
While players like MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir have lived up to the expectations, here are the six most expensive signings in IPL that did not play off.
1.Tymal Mills – Royal Challengers Bangalore
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s lead fast bowler Mitchell Starc could not participate in IPL 2017. His absence left a massive hole in the team’s bowling lineup.
Thus, RCB went after Tymal Mills in the auction. Mills had performed excellently in the preceding series against India. RCB signed him for 12 Crores in the IPL Auction, but in return, he scalped only five wickets in five games.
2.Yuvraj Singh – Delhi Daredevils
Yuvraj Singh played a massive role in India’s T20 World Cup win in 2007 and also the ICC World Cup win in 2011. The southpaw was the captain of Kings XI Punjab in the first three seasons.
He later played for Pune Warriors and Royal Challengers Bangalore. However, his battle with cancer had a nasty impact on his game for 2-3 years. Delhi still backed him and signed him for 16 Crores in IPL 2015. Singh could not live up to the price tag as he scored 248 runs in 14 matches and picked up only one wicket.
3.Dinesh Karthik – Royal Challengers Bangalore
After releasing Yuvraj Singh before the IPL 2015 Auction, Royal Challengers Bangalore went hard for wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik. The Bangalore-based franchise gained his services for 10.50 crores in the auction.
Dinesh struggled to get going with the bat in that season as he could aggregate only 141 runs in 16 matches. His highest score was 28, whereas his strike rate was 120.51.
4.Andrew Flintoff – Chennai Super Kings
Chennai Super Kings had signed MS Dhoni for a massive amount in IPL 2008 and the Ranchi-based wicket-keeper batsman took the team to the finals. In 2009, CSK spent $1.55 million for the services of Andrew Flintoff.
The English all-rounder was expected to be a game-changer for CSK because the conditions in South Africa suited him. However, Flintoff scored only 62 runs and picked up two wickets in the 3 games that he played in the season.
5.KC Cariappa – Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata Knight Riders had signed mystery spinner Sunil Narine for an extravagant amount in the auction and that gamble paid off as Narine emerged as a match-winner for the team. KC Cariappa was another mystery spinner who received an enormous bid from Kolkata.
The 2-time winners signed him for 2.4 Crores in 2015. However, he got to play only one game in the season, where he picked up one wicket while conceding runs at an economy rate of 14.
6.Varun Chakravarthy – Kings XI Punjab
Just like Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings XI Punjab invested a huge amount of money in an uncapped spinner’s talent. KXIP roped in Varun Chakravarthy for a price of 8.4 crores in the auction.
The mystery spinner played only one game for the Mohali-based franchise, where he returned with figures of 1/35 in three overs. Sunil Narine took him to the cleaners in his very first over. Chakravarthy is a part of KKR in 2020.
