IPL 2018: 5 expensive players who can turn out to be big flops

The auction of Indian Premier League (IPL) never fails to surprise us. In every auction, there are some big signings whose contract amount has enough zeros to baffle anyone. However, while some like Ben Stokes prove to be worth of every single penny, we have also witnessed the likes of Tymal Mills and Yuvraj Singh, whose performance didn't justify their highly inflated price tag.

Like every year, this auction had some big budget signings as well. While some bidding wars were on the expected lines, others came quite unexpectedly. Their respective owners will be hoping that the players prove their decision right, but there are huge chances of things not going according to their wish.

Here are 5 expensive players who could turn out to be big flops:

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#5 Krishnappa Gowtham (Rajasthan Royals)

In the past, we have seen franchises spending a huge sum of money on relatively unknown Indian spinners. But the KC Cariappas and Pawan Negis will tell us that the plan might often backfire. Rajasthan Royals have spent Rs 6.2 crores on the Karnataka offie Krishnappa Gowtham.

However, Gowtham is yet to play an IPL game, so that gigantic figure might easily stupefy some. Moreover, though Gowtham has a good T20 economy rate of around 7 runs per over, he has just picked 20 wickets in the 27 T20 games he has played thus far. Hence, his average is around 30, which definitely puts his price tag under question.

#4 Ishan Kishan (Mumbai Indians)

The young wicket-keeper batsman has already shown promise, but that might just not be enough to justify his price tag of Rs 6.2 crores. Kishan has played 16 games in IPL so far, scoring 277 runs at an average of 21. Moreover, his strike rate of 129 doesn't make for great reading.

If you think Kishan's overall T20 career average is extraordinary, you're wrong, because it is just 22. He has played 41 T20 games in total, in which his strike rate is just 124. These ordinary numbers don't justify the extraordinary price tag of the lad from Patna.

#3 Jofra Archer (Rajasthan Royals)

Jofra Archer is currently a hot prospect, but so was Corey Anderson once, who failed to make a mark in the IPL. The Royals management have invested a lot of faith plus Rs 7.2 crores on the Barbadian, but a question mark remains on whether Archer will be able to prove them right.

Archer has been impressive in the Big Bash League but is yet to get a taste of the Indian cricketing fiesta. His T20 career economy rate is around 8 runs per over, which might increase under the excessive pressure of IPL. Also, Archer has got no international experience to show for. Hence, it remains to be seen how the 23-year-old will do in franchise-based cricket's biggest stage.

#2 Glenn Maxwell (Delhi Daredevils)

Nobody can ask a single question about Glenn Maxwell's capabilities, but there is no end to questions on the consistency of the Victoria lad. One day he wins a match for his team single-handedly from the jaws of defeat, and the very next day he gets out on the first ball. His former team mentor Virender Sehwag has often told him to play straight batted shots and not to go for the fancier options, but Mad Max listens to none.

Maxwell's best season in IPL was way back in 2014, where he scored 552 runs at a strike rate of nearly 190. After that, he had a very torrid couple of seasons and made some sort of a comeback last year. That is how Maxwell is, epitomizing unpredictability. Because of that, no cricket expert before the auction was expecting a fierce bidding battle for him. But DD coach Ricky Ponting showed faith in his countrymen and bought him for Rs 9 crores. But is he worth? Only time and Maxi knows.

#1 Jaydev Unadkat (Rajasthan Royals)

The Porbandar pacer was probably in the seventh heaven when Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab were engaged in a fierce bidding war for him. But out of the blue, the blue army of Rajasthan bought him by placing just a single bid of Rs 11.5 crores. While it is very true that Unadkat has done exceptionally well for Rising Pune Supergiant last year, he had quite a few bad outings in IPL as well.

In 2014, he played 9 games and conceded runs at an economy rate of nearly 9 runs per over. In the very next year, he bowled just 3 overs and conceded 30 runs. In 2017, he played a single game, in which he conceded 49 runs without taking any wicket. His international T20 career economy rate too is nearly 9 runs per over. Rajasthan will want him to pull off last year's heroics, as he will be their main strike bowler.