IPL 2018: Rating the performance of 5 most expensive players

The 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) ended with Chennai Super Kings lifting their third trophy in total. Before the tournament started, the surprises had already begun in the auction ceremony as the teams went all out bidding for their favorite players.

While veterans like Chris Gayle and Harbhajan Singh were bought at their base prices, a few players like Jaydev Unadkat and KL Rahul were on everybody's list and came out among the highest paid ones. Justifying a hefty price-tag is not an easy job, but when underdogs like Mayank Markande and Shubman Gill perform better than the expectations, huge names are sure answerable to their owners.

Did the highest paid cricketers manage to justify their price-tag? For KL Rahul and Chris Lynn, the answer is an easy yes. But for two of Rajasthan Royals' players - Ben Stokes and Jaydev Unadkat, their performance was underwhelming, and the officials are sure to take hard decisions for next year.

Let's take a look at the five most expensive players in IPL 2018 and rate their performances out of a possible rating of 5.

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#5 Chris Lynn (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Chris Lynn

Price: ₹9.6 crores

Matches: 16

Runs: 491

Batting Average: 32.73

Rating: 4/5

Chris Lynn's ₹9.6 crore price tag didn't come as a surprise as the Australian had hammered the opposition's bowlers in the 2017 edition of the IPL. Kolkata Knight Riders drafted him back using their Right to Match card.

One of the few consistent openers this season, Lynn, alongside Sunil Narine, was instrumental right from the get-go. Scoring 491 runs in 16 matches, Lynn avoided an injury scare ahead of the tournament and went on to decimate the bowlers right, left, and center.

Chris Lynn has been the preferred choice for KKR for two years now, and with a good performance with the bat this year, his position in the team doesn't seem to go away soon. The right-handed batsman is one of the most explosive players in the side and has never shied away from giving a befitting reply to his critics

#4 Manish Pandey (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Manish Pandey

Price: ₹11 crores

Matches: 15

Runs: 284

Batting Average: 25.81

Rating: 2.5/5

Manish Pandey's impressive past performances had Sunrisers Hyderabad pick him up for INR 11 crores in IPL 2018. With only 284 runs in 15 matches at a below average strike-rate of 115, Pandey failed to live up to the billing and was a big reason for Sunrisers' sloppy middle order.

The team did manage to end up as the runner-up thanks to their strong bowling line-up and marvelous batting and captaincy of Kane Williamson. Manish will be on the radar next season as the first Indian centurion in IPL will have to improve his performance lest his exit would be inevitable.

#3 KL Rahul (Kings XI Punjab)

The main man for the Kings XI

Price: ₹11 crores

Matches: 14

Runs: 659

Batting Average: 54.91

Rating: 5/5

Bought at a hefty price tag of ₹11 crores, KL Rahul must have had a good day after being picked up by the Kings XI Punjab. He took no time in justifying his price tag, as he along with Chris Gayle became the most fearsome opening duo since day one.

Hitting at a strike rate of 158, Rahul scored as many as 659 runs in 14 matches. He even scored the fastest IPL half-century against Delhi Daredevils. Kings XI's strong batting performance can easily be attributed to Rahul's form.

Along with Andrew Tye (who became the purple cap owner in this edition), KL Rahul's presence was arguably the only good thing about the Kings' performance. The team ended up at seventh place, but the opener proved all his pennies worth.

#2 Jaydev Unadkat (Rajasthan Royals)

Jaydev Unadkat

Price: ₹11.5 crores

Matches: 15

Wickets: 11

Bowling Average: 44.18

Rating: 2/5

With 24 wickets to his name in the last edition, Javdev Unadkat was perhaps the hottest player going into the auction. Rightly so, he was picked up by the Rajasthan Royals for a staggering INR 11.5 crores.

Unadkat couldn't replicate his 2017 performance as the fast bowler could only manage 11 wickets in 15 matches. Moreover, his economy rate of 8.39 proved a bit too harsh on his side.

Jaydev Unadkat has still not been able to make his way as a regular member of the Indian Cricket Team, and his performance in the 2018 edition of the IPL might again keep him at bay.

#1 Ben Stokes (Rajasthan Royals)

The English Allrounder

Price: ₹12.5 crores

Matches: 13

Runs: 196

Batting Average: 16.33

Wickets: 8

Bowling Average: 37.87

Rating: 1.5/5

For the second year in a row, Ben Stokes emerged as the highest paid player in the IPL. Bought by the Rajasthan Royals for ₹12.5 crores, the Englishman failed to live up to the expectations and managed to score only 196 runs in 13 matches.

With the ball, the all-rounder scalped only 8 wickets at a poor average of more than 37. Stokes, along with his England teammates bid farewell before the last match of the group stages.

If the Royals want to better their performance in the next season, Ben Stokes needs to pull up his socks, or his place in the team could well be in danger.