Often hailed as the world’s wealthiest cricket league, the Indian Premier League (IPL) generates billions of dollars each year and provides a platform for numerous seasoned as well as uncapped players to earn massively through the stupendous auction fees involved. While the IPL franchises spend an insane amount of money on onboarding and retaining the most prominent cricketers listed in the auction list, only a few end up entirely justifying their massive price tags.
Over the years, the history of the Indian Premier League has witnessed numerous overpaid players who broke all the previous records and established themselves as the most expensive players of the league. Well, curious to know if these “overpaid” players were able to justify their insane price tags? Let’s find out.
In this article we will take a look at the top four most overpaid players in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and whether they were able to prove their worth.
Top 4 Most Overpaid Players In IPL History – Were They Worth It?
Yuvraj Singh, IPL 2014 (Royal Challengers Bangalore) – INR 14 Crore
Well, Yuvraj Singh smashed all the previous records and established himself as the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League till the IPL 2014 edition. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) franchise spent an unbelievable amount of INR 14 Crore on onboarding Yuvraj Singh in their team.
While the RCB franchise and its ardent supporters were anticipating power-packed performances from the legendary Indian former international cricketer and the 2011 World Cup hero, Yuvraj Singh, he shockingly failed to deliver his best innings during the IPL 2014 season for the franchise. The RCB finished 7th out of 8 teams, which served as a major heartbreak for the fans.
Ben Stokes, IPL 2017 (Rising Pune Supergiants) – INR 14.5 Crore
Often hailed as one of the most reliable and elite all-rounders of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Ben Stokes was acquired by the Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) at a staggering INR 14.5 Crore in the IPL 2017 edition, making him the most expensive seasoned player of the season. Ben Stokes played a total of 12 matches throughout the tournament and scored a phenomenal total of 316 runs.
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With numerous clutch moments and top-tier fitness, Ben Stokes undoubtedly justified his whopping price tag worth INR 14.5 crore for the Rising Pune Supergiants (RSP) franchise and played a major role in leading the squad in the IPL 2017 finals where they unfortunately ended up losing against the Mumbai Indians (MI) by a narrow margin of a single run.
Chris Morris, IPL 2021 – (Rajasthan Royals) – INR 16.25 Crore
Former South African professional cricketer Chris Morris is at the third spot in our list of the top four most overpaid players in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Rajasthan Royals (RR) franchise officially picked up Chris Morris at a staggering auction price of INR 16.25 crore ahead of the IPL 2021 season, undoubtedly making him the most expensive player of the entire season.
Chris Morris played a total of 11 matches throughout the season and picked up a total of 15 wickets at an economy rate of 9.17 and a bowling average of 25.06. Although initially, Chris Morris proved to be an annihilating bowler for the opponent teams, his bowling precision tragically dipped in the second half of the tournament. Additionally, despite being a reliable all-rounder, Morris ended up scoring only 67 runs across 11 matches. Overall, Chris Morris unfortunately failed to justify the insane INR 16.25 crore price tag due to his inconsistent performances on the field.
Mitchell Starc, IPL 2024 – (Kolkata Knight Riders) INR 24.75 Crore
The Australian spearhead bowler, Mitchell Starc, smashed all pre-existing records after being acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a massive INR 24.75 Crore ahead of the IPL 2024 edition. Mitchell Starc played a total of 14 matches throughout the tournament and picked up a total of 17 wickets at a phenomenal bowling average of 26.12.
Despite witnessing a slow start to the season where Mitchell Starc conceded a total of 100 runs without taking even a single wicket, the Australian bowling sensation made a roaring comeback after a couple of matches. Mitchell Starc’s best bowling figures “4/33” came against the Mumbai Indians (MI). Most significantly, Mitchell Starc picked up a total of two wickets against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), allowing only 14 runs in the final match, which played a crucial role in leading KKR to their third IPL title.
