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The Indian Premier League has become one of the most prominent sports leagues across all the world. Last year, the television and digital rights of the tournament were sold to Star India at an astonishing price of ₹16,347.50 Cr for a five-year period between 2018 to 2022. This deal in itself shows the power and reach of the league.
Every year, players from across the globe come to India and showcase their abilities. IPL has become the biggest stage for youngsters and relatively lesser known players to exhibit their talent under the world's limelight.
In this edition's auction, franchises spent a whopping ₹106.80 crores on various players. Every team focused on their squad needs and the availability of the players. In the process, some franchises went overboard to get a player in their team and paid more money than they deserved. There were also a few players who are retained at a high price, despite their lackluster performances last year.
Here are the 10 players who are overpaid in the 2019 IPL roaster.
#10 Carlos Braithwaite bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹5 crores
Carlos Braithwaite will always be remembered for his heroics against England in the last over of the 2016 World T20 final. However, since then, Braithwaite has not lived up to the hype and expectation of fans.
Over the years, Braithwaite has severely underperformed in the IPL and its hard to justify him deserving such a high price tag. Neither have runs come from his bat nor has he delivered with the ball. His economy rate is something that is sure to give any captain nightmares. Last year, Sunrisers Hyderabad purchased him for ₹2 crores, who released him due to unsatisfactory performances at the end of the season. Hence, it came to a big surprise when Kolkata Knight Riders decided to buy him at ₹5 crore in the latest auction.
#9 Colin Ingram purchased by Delhi Capitals for ₹6.4 crores
Everyone was left stunned when Colin Ingram was bought by Delhi Capitals for ₹6.4 crores. After remaining unsold for many years, it was a big shock when Ingram was subject to bidding war. It was surprising that Delhi did not go for players like Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran who were sold at a much lesser price than Ingram.
While Ingram is a good middle order batsman and has a vast experience in the T20s as he participates in various leagues across the globe. Despite that, his temperament and skills against spin in the Indian conditions are questionable and unproven.
#8 Robin Uthappa retained by Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹6.4 crores
Robin Uthappa was once known as Kolkata Knight Riders's "run-machine". He was someone who consistently gave good starts to KKR at the top of the innings and laid the perfect foundation for a big score. In the 2014 edition, he scored a massive 660 runs.
However, last year, Uthappa had a mediocre season. He scored only one fifty in 16 matches in the entire season. His performances have also dipped in the domestic circuit as he has started to show signs of age catching up with him. KKR still decided to retain him at ₹6.4 crores, which was quite surprising. They have players like Shubman Gill in their team who could have easily taken Uthappa's place.
#7 Sam Curran purchased by Kings XI Punjab for ₹7.2 crores
Sam Curran hit a lottery in this year's auction when he was picked by Kings XI Punjab for ₹7.2 crores. Impressed by all-around skills, Punjab decided to go all out for him. He was impressive in the test series against India last year with both bat and ball. Still, ₹7.2 crores for a player who has not even debuted in T20Is is a bit too much.
He has played 47 domestic T20 games in which he just averages about 15 with the bat and has taken just only 42 wickets. Quite clearly, Punjab is expecting Ben Stokes like performances from Curran. This is an over-expectation from the franchise's part. The player has a lot to prove in this year's IPL to justify his price tag.
#6 Ravichandran Ashwin retained by Kings XI Punjab for ₹7.6 crores
Ravichandran Ashwin was once the backbone of Chennai Super King's bowling department. He was a complete revelation in the third edition of the IPL. His carrom ball had the ability to deceive any batsmen. Over the years, batsmen have started to figure out his variations and he has become less threating in the shorter format of the game.
His wickets tally has gradually decreased over the years. In 2018, he just took 10 wickets in 14 matches. He has also shown little faith in his traditional bowling as he started to bowl leg spin last season. His price of ₹7.6 crores seems overpriced for a player who has lost his charm in T20s.
#5 Jaydev Unadkat purchased by Rajasthan Royals for ₹8.4 crores
Rajasthan Royals once again paid an enormous price to get Jaydev Unadkat into their side. He first came into limelight in 2017 when he had an excellent season for Rising Pune Supergiants. Unadkat was the main go-to bowler for Steven Smith. He took 24 wickets at an economy rate of 7.02, which helped his team to reach the 2017 IPL final.
His previous year's performance and consistency made him a star in the 2018 IPL auction. Rajasthan bid heavily on Unadkat, as they wanted him as their main fast bowler. He failed miserably in 2018 season as was not able to reciprocate his form and consistency.
The Royals released him prior to this season's auction with the intention of buying him at a lower price. Due to lack of availability of quality fast bowlers, Unadkat again hit a jackpot. Rajasthan got him back for ₹8.4 crores, which is a lot more than expected.
#4 Varun Chakravarthy purchased by Kings XI Punjab for ₹8.4 crores
Every year in the auction you see a surprise pick. Sometimes, franchises bid heavily on unknown players so that they could startle all the other teams. This year it was mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy by Kings XI Punjab who fetched a price of ₹8.4 Crore.
Varun starred in the 2018 TNPL for Madurai Panthers, which is where he came under the radar of the IPL franchises. He followed it up by being the second highest wicket-taker in last year's Vijay Hazare Trophy. Still. his value is a lot for a player, who is yet to play a match in the IPL.
#3 Chris Lynn retained by Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹9.6 crores:
Kolkata Knight Riders retained Chris Lynn at his last year price ₹9.6 crores. It is a hefty amount for a player who is going through a bad run of form. Lynn also has a history of repeatedly injuring himself. Ever since his recovery from his shoulder injury, it seems he has lost his brutal hitting capabilities.
He had a decent BBL season this year but was not at his best. Lynn also struggles a lot against spinners and his weakness is badly exposed in the shorter format of the game. KKR will be expecting nothing short of a magical season from him, for the amount they are paying.
#2 Suresh Raina retained by Chennai Super for ₹11 crores :
Not long ago, Suresh Raina was known as a complete player in the shortest format of the game. He was as a solid striker of the ball and an expert in finishing the game for the team. He bats at number 3 for CSK and has played several big innings under pressure over the year. Raina was also a handy part-time bowler who had the ability to provide crucial breakthroughs at the right time to the team.
Although Raina scored 445 runs in the last season of the IPL, there is no denying the fact that he has lost his touch and impact in T20s. He was finding it hard to finish games like he used to do earlier. Also, Dhoni did not trust him as bowler last season, as he did not bowl a single ball in the last edition of the IPL. He is no longer the same game-changing allrounder as he once was and at ₹11 crore, he looks too expensive
#1 Steven Smith retained by Rajasthan Royals for ₹12 crores
The ₹12 crores that Rajasthan Royals are paying for Steven Smith is a hefty amount looking at his record in the shortest format. His strike rate and average in T20s does not back the price. Having not played international cricket for a year, the former Australian captain's form and fitness will be a big question this season. The franchise already has many players who could play a similar role as Smith. At his price, they could have easily purchased a potent pinch hitter.
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