The mega auction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is just a few days away and the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah is ready to host the first IPL auction on 24 and 25 November. (Event Guide | More Cricket News)
A total of 574 players have been shortlisted by the BCCI for the upcoming player auction, including notable names such as last year's highest-paid player, Mitchell Starc. This auction could be a significant opportunity for many players, while many will go unsold.
Very few players have lived up to their auction prices, and over the years, there has been a list of such players who failed to deliver what was expected from them. Let's take a look at the 10 biggest flops in IPL history.
1. Yuvraj Singh - INR 16 Cr (DD)
Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh was acquired by Delhi Capitals (formerly Delhi Daredevils) for INR 16 crores in the IPL 2015. During that season, he scored only 248 runs in the 13 innings. This means that each run he scored cost the team approximately 6.5 lakhs. His performance did not meet expectations for his price tag, and Delhi Daredevils finished 7th in the league table, failing to qualify for the playoffs.
2. Ben Stokes - INR 16.25 Cr (CSK)
The Chennai Super Kings acquired Ben Stokes for INR 16.25 crores in the IPL 2023 auction. Stokes is regarded as one of the leading all-rounders in the world; however, he was unable to make a significant impact in his two matches before sustaining a knee injury that forced him to leave the tournament. Throughout his IPL career, Stokes has yet to deliver a standout performance. He has not put his name for the IPL 2025 mega auction and hence, he will not be eligible to participate in the next IPL as well.
3. Chris Morris - INR 16.25 Cr (RR)
During the 2021 auction, South African all-rounder Chris Morris became the most expensive foreign player. Throughout the season, he scored only 67 runs in 11 matches and took 15 wickets, with an economy rate of 9.17. Despite his speciality in bowling in the death overs, he struggled to make significant contributions with both bat and ball, leading to an overall poor performance. He retired from cricket the following year.
4. Sam Curran - INR 18.50 Cr (PBKS)
During the 2023 IPL auction, England all-rounder Sam Curran was purchased by Punjab Kings for INR 18.50 crores, making him the season's most expensive player. He made 276 runs in 14 matches and took only 10 wickets. His underwhelming performance gained him a place in the biggest flops of the IPL.
5. Kyle Jamieson - INR 15 Cr (RCB)
The tall right-arm fast bowler from New Zealand played just one season in the Indian Premier League (IPL) so far. In 2021, he was purchased by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for INR 15 crores. While he did not make a significant impact with the bat, he did take nine wickets in as many matches, which did not justify his high price tag. He decided to take a break from IPL after that season and has not played any IPL matches since.
6. Pat Cummins - INR 15.50 Cr (KKR)
Australia's captain became the most expensive overseas player in the IPL 2020 auction when Kolkata Knight Riders acquired him for INR 15.50 crores, but he could only manage to take only 21 wickets in the next two seasons for the KKR. He also bowled at an economy rate of 8.83 in the 2021 season but held the record for hitting the fastest fifty in the IPL 2022 (14 balls). Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed that record in IPL 2023 by scoring a fifty in 13 balls.
7. Tymal Mills - INR 12.50 Cr (RCB)
The England left-arm pacer Mills managed to take just 5 wickets in 5 matches at an economy rate of 8.57 in IPL 2017 when he was bought for INR 12.50 Crores in the auction by RCB. He made his comeback in the IPL 2022 playing for Mumbai Indians but was ruled out mid-season due to an ankle injury. He has given his name for IPL 2025 auctions as well.
8. Pawan Negi - INR 8.50 Cr (DC)
After playing for Chennai Super Kings, the all-rounder Pawan Negi hit the jackpot in 2016 when he was bought for 8.50 crores by Delhi Capitals, (then Delhi Daredevils) but he failed to deliver in eight matches he played. He managed to take just one wicket and bowled at an economy rate of 9.33. He remained unsold for the next few seasons and played his last IPL game for DC in 2019.
9. Dinesh Karthik - INR 10.50 Cr (RCB)
The former Indian wicketkeeper-batter was bought for a big price of INR 10.50 Crores by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 2015 auction but he scored just 141 runs in 16 matches. Despite his poor batting performance, RCB finished third in the points table. But he was dropped in the next year's auction where KKR picked him and appointed him their captain. He came back to RCB and finished his IPL career in 2024.
10. Glenn Maxwell - INR 10.75 Cr (KXIP)
The Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell scored only 108 runs in 13 matches for the Punjab Kings in the IPL 2020 at a strike rate of just 101.89, failing to hit even a single six during the season. He is a player who has earned lots of money from different franchises but delivered runs only a handful of times. He will be a big name in this year's mega auction as well.
