Pune: The 14th edition of IPL (Indian Premier League) ended up on Monday facing chaos after being postponed for an indefinite period amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) tried their best to stay put but had to take a serious decision.
In the history of the IPL auctions, we saw many battles between the franchises to buy a player which finally makes the player costlier. While some top costliest players enjoyed those IPL seasons, some other expensive players struggled in those IPL seasons.
One of the most highly-paid cricket league has seen several millionaires in its 14-year history, some of whom have managed to make the headlines for their performances as well as their price tags. Sometimes, even an unknown player has received a glamorous contract worth few crores than a well-experienced player. A few players justified their price tags and were worth every penny, while some surrendered to the pressure of their stellar price tags. Nonetheless, amidst the course of the 29 games in 24 days in this year’s cash-rich league, the sight of cricket also cornered the limelight for nearly four weeks.
Today we take a look at some of the most expensive buys from the IPL 2021 auction that did not justify their expensive price tags:
Jhye Richardson (PBKS)
Jhye Richardson made a buzz after he performed to expectations for the Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League (BBL). Hence, despite not playing for his national side for nearly two years, the Aussie bagged Rs 14 crores from the Punjab Kings. But after signing the huge contract, the Richardson didn’t have the best of the season for the Punjab side.
The right-arm pacer who played three games was expensive as he bowled at an economy rate of more than 10. Richardson scalped 29 wickets in 17 games at an economy rate of 7.69 in BBL and was the leading wicket-taker of the tournament but failed to keep the same track in sub-continent conditions. However, it has often witnessed that the bowlers who have impressed in the BBL have struggled to continue their form in the IPL.
Riley Meredith (PBKS)
Another Australian on the list is Riley Meredith. Though he managed four wickets from five matches for Punjab Kings, the 24-year-old did not bowl a match-winning spell.
The Australian pacer was already feeling the heat after failing to do well in his first few games in the IPL 2021. PBKS had roped in the right-arm pacer for a whopping Rs 8 crores in the auction this year. He was expected to lead the pace attack along with Mohammed Shami but was far from impressive. The man from Tasmania is capable of clocking 140 kph consistently and has proved his worth in the domestic tournament in Australia but didn’t show any form for his Punjab side.
Shivam Dube (RR)
Shivam Dube is a pretty well-known name amongst Indian cricket fans. He has already played many games in the IPL for multiple franchises but this year he grabbed the eyeballs of many after the all-rounder was signed by RR for Rs 4.40 crores. Dube who had the base price of Rs 50 lakh went up to fetch Rs 4.40 crore.
During the auction, Rajasthan Royals (RR), SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Delhi Capitals (DC) went for him, but in the end, he donned a pink jersey in the IPL 2021 season. Out of seven matches, Dube played in six and the all-rounder neither impressed with the bat nor with the ball. In six matches, he scored 145 runs at an average of 24.16.
Kyle Jamieson (RCB)
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) went into the IPL 2021 auction with a big amount in the pocket as they released as many as 10 players before the auction took place in Chennai. After acquiring the services of power-hitter Glenn Maxwell, RCB broke the bank for the New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson. The 6 feet 8 inches tall bowler was in the auction and RCB faced an auction battle against Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings. However, in the end, the RCB roped him in for Rs 15 crore. Due to his height, he is one of the bowlers in the world who can produce super bouncer. In the bowling friendly tracks, no matter he managed some wickets but like others, he didn’t bowl any match-winning spells.
The Kiwi pacer made IPL debut this season, scalped nine wickets in seven wickets but in the process, gave away runs at an economy rate of 9.20. Remember the knock by Delhi Capitals’ Shimron Hetmyer against Jamieson? The West-Indies power hitter smashed three sixes in his one over.
Krishnappa Gowtham (CSK)
Krishnappa Gowtham became the most expensive uncapped Indian cricketer in the history of IPL after he was roped by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for a whopping Rs 9.25 crore. The Karnataka all-rounder who had a base price of just Rs 20 lakh went up to Rs 9.25 crore in the auction.
K Gowtham has already played his stint with PBKS and RR. He has delivered for the teams with both bat and ball in tough situations but this year he was not given any chance in the star-studded lineup of CSK. He hit the field only as a substitute in CSK’s seven games, despite the club’s most expensive buy at the auction this year.
Though the season was suspended in the halfway stage, these players couldn't turn up with performances worth their auction prices. Hope they will bounce back, if the IPL resumes this year!