In the IPL 2024 Auction, Mitchell Starc secured the highest bid in the tournament’s history, fetching a staggering 24.75 crores. However, the IPL has witnessed a trend where the player who commands the highest price tag often struggles to live up to expectations on the field.
This phenomenon could stem from the added pressure of being labeled as the most expensive IPL players.
In Starc’s first IPL 2024 match for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), he failed to deliver, conceding 53 runs in four overs with an expensive economy rate of 13.25, without managing to take any wickets.
Several players who have been the most expensive buys in IPL auctions have faltered to perform at their best. Here is a list of the five most expensive players in the IPL auction who failed to live up to expectations.
Most expensive IPL players with disappointing performances
Player Team Price Year
Yuvraj Singh DD 16 crore 2015
Shane Watson RCB 9.5 crore 2016
Pat Cummins KKR 15.5 crore 2020
Jaydev Unadkat RR 8.4 crore 2019
Glenn Maxwell MI 6.3 crore 2013
Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh was bought by Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in the 2015 Auction at the highest price of 16 crore. In that year, he scored 248 runs at an average of 19.07. The explosive batter had a strike rate of 118.09.
Shane Watson
Shane Watson was at his peak when RCB bought him for 9.5 crore in IPL 2016. However, he was disappointed by scoring 398 runs at an average of 23.41.
Pat Cummins
Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins was the highest-paid player in IPL 2020 when KKR signed him for 15.5 crore. He also did not live up to the expectation and took 12 wickets in 14 games. He scored just 146 runs in that year.
Jaydev Unadkat
Rajasthan Royals signed Jaydev Unadkat in IPL 2019 for 8.4 crore. He had taken only 10 wickets in 11 games at an economy of 10.66. He was the most costliest player in the auction.
Glenn Maxwell
Maxwell joined Mumbai Indians in IPL 2013 with the highest price in the auction. But, he did not replicated his price value on his performance. He played just three game and scored 36 runs.
MI’s jerseys over the years in the IPL
KKR’s jerseys over the years in IPL
Rajasthan Royals jerseys over the years in IPL
SRH’s jerseys over the years in IPL
CSK’s jerseys over the years in IPL
Indian bowlers to take most 5-wicket hauls in Test cricket
Indian players to score the most runs in a Test series