It has been exciting three weeks in the eighth season of the Indian Premier League and things are getting tight as the tournament heads towards the death overs of the league phase. With jam-packed stadiums, close finishes and a controversy here and there, the ongoing edition is turning out to be a wholesome entertainer for everyone, but for one disappointment.
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The franchises emptied their pockets to buy few of the top-grade players in the game, but their
INVESTMENTS aren't yielding the desired returns.
ALSO SEE IPL big buys struggling
Big names mean big MONEY but the results are not always appealing. As the old saying goes: Money can't buy you everything. That's exactly what's happening with some of the big earners this season.
Let alone success, many players unfortunately have not lived up to their expectations, making a mockery of reputations. Cricketnext takes a look at some of the expensive flops of the edition.
ALSO SEE 'Didn't tell anyone to give me the money I got'
Yuvraj Singh: After releasing most of their players before this year's auction, Delhi Daredevils had a large purse and they INVESTED a major chunk of it on this swashbuckling southpaw. Once a star of the Indian dressing room and hero of the 2011 World Cup,Yuvraj fetched a mammoth Rs 16 crore, breaking his previous record of Rs 14 crore paid by Royal Challengers Bangalore in the last edition. On his day, Yuvraj can destroy any opposition at his will, and this season of the IPL was a perfect opportunity for him to reclaim his spot in the Indian team. However, he has been no way near his reputation.
In the seven matches he has played so far, Yuvraj cuts a sorry figure with just 124 runs, averaging a poor 17.71 with his highest being 54. On top of that, his jaded fielding and uninspiring bowling have added to his worries.
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Dinesh Karthik: Bought at a whopping price of Rs 10.5 crore by Royal Challengers Bangslore, wicketkeeper batsman Dinesh Karthink raised eyebrows the world over. But all that MONEY has not transformed into results for RCB. He has been totally out of touch and has done precious little to justify his value. With a highest score of 27 in seven outings so far and with a lowly average of 14, Karthik can only be stated as a highly over-valued player. At a time when Dhoni has already hung up his boots in Test cricket, the IPL came as an open opportunity for Karthik to make his case for that spot. However, it has been appalling to see his struggle with the bat on even the best of batting pitches.
Angelo Mathews: The Sri Lankan captain was the third most expensive buy in this year's auction after Yuvraj and Karthik. Delhi Daredevils spent Rs 7.5 crore on the acclaimed allrounder and would have expected a lot of out of him. But Mathews has been a big disappointment, having tallied a mere 93 runs in seven games and just 5 wickets to his name.
Zaheer Khan: Once the boss of India's pace attack, Zaheer Khan continues to struggle with injuries having played just one match for Delhi Daredevils this season. Bought for Rs 4 crore, the discarded pacer, however, made his presence felt against Kings XI Punjab with a spell of 2 for 17. But brittle fitness remains Zaheer's biggest enemy in his bid for an India comeback and doesn't justify his price tag.
Amit Mishra: The quickest bowler to reach 100 wickets in IPL, Amit Mishra is far from hitting his best this year. With seven wickets from as many games as Delhi Daredevils' premier spinner, Mishra's performance has been lacklustre to say the least. What is even more disturbing for the Delhi bowler is the good performance of his teammate Imran Tahir. Mishra and Tahir, both legspinners, show a huge degree of contrast in their respective performances. Compared to Mishra, Tahir is leading the IPL bowler's tally with 13 wickets in seven outings.
KC Cariappa: One of the uncapped players to became the talk to the town in the February auction was Karnataka mystery spinner KC Cariappa. Having a base price of only Rs 10 lakh, Cariappa was brought by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 2.4 crore but it's turning out to be a low-key affair for him soon after. He has played just one game so far, conceding 28 runs in the two overs he bowled before being taken off the attack against Royal Challengers Bangalore. The only high point of Cariappa's debut was grabbing the wicket of AB de Villiers. However, it is still early days for the 20-year-old Cariappa and he would get a lot of opportunities to prove his worth in crores.
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