5 players who did not justify their expensive price tags in the  IPL

Money can buy success, but not every time. The Indian Premier League is known for its glitz, glamour, competitiveness, Bollywood-cricket combo and of course the staggering money.

The lucrative league has seen several millionaires in its ten year history, some of whom have grabbed the headlines for their performances as well as their price tags. Sometimes, even an unknown player gets a glamorous contract worth few crores than a well established player.

That is the uncertainty surrounding an IPL contract, where one cannot predict the performance of a player based on their price tags. A few players justified their price tags and were worth every penny, while some succumbed to the pressure of their astronomical price tags. Let us now look at five players who did not justify their hefty price tags in the IPL:

#1 Yuvraj Singh (Delhi Daredevils) - 2015

Yuvraj Singh, played for RCB in 2014 and was released by them for the next edition, despite an impressive show where he scored 376 runs in 14 matches with three half-centuries. Yuvraj was bought by the Delhi Daredevils for a mammoth Rs.16 crore during the 2015 IPL auctions, making him the costliest buy of that season.

Yuvi’s stint with the Delhi outfit was unimpressive, with the southpaw scoring just 248 runs in 14 matches at an average of 19.07 and the highest score of 57. In bowling, he managed to take a solitary wicket in 14 games at an economy of 8.00.

The Daredevils finished seventh in the league standings in 2015 as Yuvraj failed to replicate his performance of 2014. For a player who scored six sixes in an over in a T20 World cup match, this was undeniably a forgettable experience.

Stats:

Batting- Matches: 14, Runs:251, Strike-rate:118.09, High score: 57

Bowling- Matches: 14, Wickets: 1, Economy: 7.67, Best figures: 1/14

#2 Tymal Mills (Royal Challengers Bangalore) - 2017

Tymal Mills failed to replace Starc

The English left-arm seamer was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for a massive Rs.12 crore during the 2017 IPL auctions, making him the second most expensive buy of that season. Mills impressed everyone with his bowling variations in the T20 series during England’s tour of India prior to the 2017 auctions.

This performance was instrumental for his lucrative IPL contract. In the five matches he played for the RCB during the tenth edition of the IPL, Mills took five wickets at an economy of 8.57 and best figures of 2/31. A year later during the 2018 IPL auctions, his fortunes changed as he went unsold.

Stats:

Matches: 5, Wickets: 5, Economy: 8.57, Best figures: 2/31

#3 Pawan Negi (Delhi Daredevils) - 2016

Negi did not live up to expectations

Negi was bought by the Delhi Daredevils for a staggering Rs.8.5 crore in the 2016 auctions, making him the costliest Indian buy of the ninth season. He played just eight matches for the Delhi franchise and failed to make an impact in that season.

Negi scored a total of 57 runs in eight games at a strike-rate of 96.61, with his highest score being 19*. In the bowling, he took only one wicket in the entire tournament at an economy of 9.33 with his best figures being 1/19. It was a complete let down by the Indian all-rounder as he failed to contribute for his franchise, who finished sixth in the table.

Stats:

Batting- Matches: 8, Runs: 57, Strike-rate: 96.61, High score: 19*

Bowling- Matches: 8, Wickets: 1, Economy: 9.33, Best figures: 1/19

#4 Shane Bond (Kolkata Knight Riders) - 2010

Bond lasted just one season in IPL

The Kiwi pacer was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders for an undisclosed sum of above $750,000 during the 2010 IPL auctions. This made him the joint-costliest player along with Kieron Pollard (Mumbai Indians).

Bond played just eight games for the Knight Riders in his entire IPL career. He took nine wickets for the Kolkata franchise at an economy of 7.23, with the best bowling figures of 2/24.

Bond announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in May 2010 (two weeks after the 2010 IPL) after an unsuccessful T20 World cup campaign for the Kiwis in West Indies that brought an end to his brief IPL career as well.

Stats:

Matches:8, Wickets: 9, Economy: 7.23, Best figures: 2/24

#5 Andrew Flintoff (Chennai Super Kings) - 2009

Flintoff could not further his reputation in the IPL

The former English all-rounder was bought by the Chennai Super Kings for $1.55 million during the 2009 IPL auctions, making him the joint-costliest player of that season. His IPL career was nothing but a disaster as he managed to play just three games for the Chennai franchise.

In his debut game against the Mumbai Indians, Flintoff scored 24(23) and finished with the bowling figures of 1/44 in his four overs. In one of the overs, Flintoff was smacked for three sixes in four deliveries by the Mumbai all-rounder Abhishek Nayar.

He had a poor outing in the next two games, against the Royal Challengers and Delhi Daredevils and left the IPL midway due to the knee injury he sustained while playing for the CSK. Flintoff never played in the IPL again after the disastrous 2009 season.

Stats:

Batting- Matches:3, Runs:62, Strike-rate:116.98, High score:24

Bowling- Matches:3, Wickets:2, Economy:9.55, Best figures:1/11