IPL 2022 Auction: 10 most expensive flops in Indian Premier League so far

The 10 most expensive flops in Indian Premier League (IPL) so far

Bengaluru, February 8: A player bought for top dollar doesn't always guarantee a return in performance. Over the years, IPL franchises have experienced the same and will hope their gamble pays off when they bid for top stars in the upcoming mega auction.

A total of 590 players have registered themselves for the IPL 2022 Auction and among them, 228 are capped, 355 are uncapped, while 7 players belong to associate nations.

10 teams including the two new franchises will have done their research and readied a strategy for the upcoming two-day auction, which is set to take place in Bengaluru on February 12 and February 13.

Despite all the planning, some teams end up investing heavy on the wrong players and sometimes trust their money on some superstar names. But that gamble doesn't always pay off like we have seen over the years as most expensive player doesn't mean best player.

Most of the time it is the same team repeating the mistakes like Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals. So, these sides may need more planning for the auction.

Here, we take a look at the expensive flops of IPL so far:

Sheldon Cottrell (KXIP) - INR 8.50 Crore in 2020

The West Indies left-arm pacer Cottrell took only 6 wickets in 6 matches, bowling at an economy rate of 8.8. He lost his place in the team following poor performance and also remained unsold in 2021. The Jamaican is back in the auction and will hope to land a team after missing out last time.

Pawan Negi (DD) - INR 8.50 Crore in 2016

Following a stint with Chennai Super Kings, the all-rounder Negi hit the jackpot in 2016, but failed to deliver in the 8 matches that he played, performing poorly both with the bat and ball that season. He managed to take just one wicket and bowled at an economy rate of 9.33. He is once again part of the auction as part of the capped all-rounders.

Dinesh Karthik (RCB) - INR 10.50 Crore in 2015

The Indian wicketkeeper-batter was excellent behind the stumps, but fared poorly with the bat in the season as he managed to score just 141 runs in 16 matches. He, however, fared better at Kolkata Knight Riders in the seasons that followed and was brought in as a captain for the side. He will once again be part of the auction and could be a big option for some franchises.

Glenn Maxwell (KXIP) - INR 10.75 Crore in 2020

The Australian all-rounder Maxwell managed to score just 108 runs in 13 matches at the strike rate of just 101.89, failing to hit even a single six during the season. He once again went for big money the following season, but proved his worth and his fortunes have changed at Royal Challengers Bangalore, who have retained him ahead of the 2022 auction.

Jaydev Unadkat (RR) - INR 11.50 Crore in 2018

Coming in with big expectations following a brilliant 2017 season, the Indian left-arm pacer Unadkat managed to take just 11 wickets in 15 matches and bowled at an economy rate of 9.66 in 2018. He has once again had a decent domestic season, which may fetch him a big money deal in IPL, but not at the scale he hit in 2018.

Tymal Mills (RCB) - INR 12.50 Crore in 2017

The England left-arm pacer Mills managed to take just 5 wickets in 5 matches at an economy rate of 8.57. He was later dropped and remained unsold in 2018 auction. He has made a comeback of sorts in the shorter format recently and is also back in the auction.

Kyle Jamieson (RCB) - INR 15 Crore in 2021

The big New Zealand all-rounder Jamieson came in with a huge reputation, but didn't meet the expectations as he struggled to find his rhythm, taking just 9 wickets in 9 matches and bowled at an economy rate of 9.60. The Kiwi announced that he will take a break from IPL 2022 to spend time with family and work on his game.

Pat Cummins (KKR) - INR 15.50 Crore in 2020

A surprise entry in the list. The Australian quick became the most expensive overseas player at the time, but could only manage to take 21 wickets across two seasons in 21 matches for the Kolkata Knight Riders. He also bowled at economy rate of 8.83 in 2021 season. Will be interesting to see if he goes for a big sum in 2022 auction as well.

Yuvraj Singh (DD) - INR 16 Crore in 2015

The Indian all-rounder was bought by RCB for a whopping 14 crore in the 2014 auction and following a decent season, he was picked up for an even bigger sum in 2015 by Delhi Daredevils, but Yuvraj Singh could score just 248 runs in 14 innings at an average of 19.07 and a strike rate of 118.09. The southpaw has retired from all forms of cricket and won't be part of the auction.

Chris Morris (RR) - INR 16.25 Crore in 2021

The South African all-rounder Morris became the most expensive foreign player during the 2021 auction. But produced very little as he scored just 67 runs in 11 matches and took just 15 wickets, bowling at an economy rate of 9.17. His poor outings also cost him a place in the side and the Protea announced his retirement from international cricket earlier in 2022.