The Indian Premier League auction late last year saw staggering amounts of money dished out on some overseas stars. The teams which spent a lot had super expectations of them for sure. No one thought a Nicholas Pooran would go for Rs 16 crore, or a Sam Curran would become the costliest buy in IPL history. However, as the season approaches the end, a look at the performances of these players reveal that by and large, they have failed to live up to expectations. Here is a glance at how they have fared.
Couldn’t handle it
Sam Curran (Punjab Kings, 18.5 crore): The costliest buy in the IPL ever. And that’s because he was Player of the Series at last year’s T20 World Cup, held just weeks before the IPL auction. Expectations of the Englishman, naturally, were high. But that is not how things have gone. Conceding three sixes against Andre Russell in the 19th over just a few days back was not the only blip. The left-hander has gone for 40 or more in five matches and has an economy rate of 10.28. Clearly, he has struggled to come to terms with Indian conditions when it comes to bowling. His batting form has been slightly better but not notable either. Often promoted ahead of specialist batters, Curran has played the big shots at times, but does it justify that massive price tag?
Matches 11. Runs 196. SR 137.06. Wickets 7. ER 10.28
Better of the lot
Cameron Green (Mumbai Indians, 17.5 crore): Better of the big buys. He has been fairly consistent with the bat and has chipped in at crucial times. Green has played a part in his team’s revival after a sluggish start to the campaign. The Australian, who is playing in the IPL for the first time, has adapted well to an environment unknown to him. That is not easy. He has not been a disaster with the ball either, although the economy rate of 10.00 is not that good. Even then, one cannot say Green has been a flop like most of the other costlier players. Given his multi-utility value, he will be an asset for Mumbai if they persist with him. We will see more him in the matches to come.
Matches 11. Runs 274. SR 149.72. Wickets 6. ER 10.00
Hardly played!
Ben Stokes (Chennai Super Kings, 16.25 crore): Was supposed to be the trump card in a seasoned side. Imagine what impact he could have made! But he turned up not fully fit, flopped with bat and ball in the first two games, and then sat out the next nine games due to injury. The Chennai franchise is known for making judicious investments. Here is one that perhaps went wrong. Now that the business end is approaching and his team firmly in contention for a playoff berth, one expects the England all-rounder to return to action and make meaningful contributions. However, going by his anticlimactic absence, it has to be said that so far, Stokes has been one of the major disappointments this season. The only bright side is, there is still time for him to turn things around.
Matches 2. Runs 15. Wickets 0. ER 18.00
More downs than ups
Nicholas Pooran (Lucknow Super Giants, 16 crore): Not a complete flop, but given his surprisingly massive price tag, not a complete hit either. The left-hander from the West Indies, who is also the wicketkeeper for his franchise, has been somewhat mercurial. His form has been up and down, more of the latter than former. He has a devastating strike rate of 160.00, but not too many runs. In fact, his bat has made a difference just twice in 11 outings — against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Punjab Kings. Those knocks of 62 and 45 were quite something. Almost everything hurled at him was struck out of the park. But such knocks have been few and far between. The man from Trinidad and Tobago knows only one way of batting. He lives and dies by the sword.
Matches 11. Runs 248. SR 160.00
A super flop
Harry Brook (Sunrisers Hyderabad, 13.25 crore): His franchise bought him with great expectations following his tremendous exploits with the bat across formats. He has been touted as the next big thing! He did make a blistering century against Kolkata Knight Riders in the first half of the tournament, but did little of note before and after that. In fact, his next best score is 18 and England’s rising star got out for single-digit scores in five of his nine innings. Two successive ducks have actually prompted the team management to bench him. One of the more disappointing factors in what has been a largely disappointing campaign for the Hyderabad outfit so far. Brook is another player who failed to get used to conditions he is unfamiliar with. Hopefully, he will learn from this and come back stronger.
Matches 9. Runs 163. SR 121.64
