IPL 2018: 5 expensive buys who have were left out of the playing XI so far

Like any other IPL auction, the 2018 auction proved to be a jackpot for many cricketers, who managed to bag huge amount of money. While this is very common, what surprised many is that some of the expensive buys were left out of their team's playing XI so far.

While the risk paid well enough for some teams, it went horribly wrong for others, and we might see the big money stars in the playing XI soon. Here's a list of 5 players who have missed their team's opening game, or the first two games.

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#5 Shivam Mavi (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Mavi was one of the U19 stars who caught the attention of the scouts of various teams. As a result, a bidding war started as soon as Mavi's name came in the auction. Despite having a very slim purse, Kolkata Knight Riders spent Rs 3 crores to buy him.

They were ecstatic after getting Mavi in their team, and their analyst AR Srikkanth even said he resembles a younger version of Bhuvneshwar Kumar. However, all he has done so far is sit in the dugout, as veteran R Vinay Kumar is playing for KKR, who was bought at his base price.

#4 Rahul Chahar (Mumbai Indians)

Rahul Chahar

A lot was being said about defending champions Mumbai Indians' spin department after the auctions, and Rahul Chahar was expected to lead their spin attack. Seeing that they have no prominent spinners in their team, MI think tank splurged Rs 1.9 crores on Chahar.

Surprisingly, Chahar had to sit out for the 20-year-old youngster from Bathinda, Mayank Markande. That gamble played off well enough for MI, as Markande picked up 3 wickets against CSK and conceded just 23 runs, making Chahar's entry into the team even more difficult.

#3 Navdeep Saini (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Navdeep Saini

Navdeep Saini hasn't played an IPL match yet, but he saw many bidders interested in him owing to his scintillating performance in the domestic circuit. In an attempt to strengthen their troublesome bowling attack, Royal Challengers Bangalore shelled out Rs 3 crores to get Saini sign a contract for them.

However, Saini had to make way for Kulwant Khejroliya in RCB's first match against Kolkata Knight Riders. The decision backfired here, as Khejroliya conceded 34 runs in 3.5 overs, as KKR comfortably chased down a big target of 177 runs.

#2 Karn Sharma (Chennai Super Kings)

Karn Sharma

The all-rounder was snatched by the returning franchise Chennai Super Kings after an intense bidding war. Sharma received Rs 5 crores from CSK and was expected to be a part of their playing XI. However, he was ignored in both the matches CSK has played so far, as war veteran Harbhajan Singh was preferred.

Harbhajan has done a good job so far, conceding 14 runs in 2 overs in the first game against MI, and giving away just 11 runs in 2 overs in the second match against KKR, in which he also picked up the crucial wicket of Sunil Narine. Given the way things are going at the moment, Karn's stay in the dugout seems to be getting prolonged.

#1 Kamlesh Nagarkoti (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Kamlesh Nagarkoti

Pacer Kamlesh Nagarkoti was perhaps the hottest U19 prospect available in the auctions. A tug of war was expected for him, and Nagarkoti rightfully received Rs 3.4 crores from his owners Kolkata Knight Riders. For obvious reasons, Nagarkoti was expected to be the mainstay in KKR's lineup.

But to the extreme surprise of everyone, R Vinay Kumar played in the first game against RCB. What is more surprising is that despite conceding 30 runs from 2 overs, Kumar was selected for the second game. This decision cost KKR some vital points as he conceded 35 runs in just 1.5 overs, owing to which KKR lost the game from a winning situation.