Yuvraj Singh, Glenn Maxwell and Jaydev Unadkat
Almost a month ago, Chris Morris, a player who can contribute to both the departments, was shown the exit door by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) as the franchise released its list of retained and released players.
Even Morris in his wildest dreams must not have thought of becoming a hot property, breaking records and becoming a million-dollar baby in the IPL 2021 Auction in Chennai. This wasn't the first instance of Morris forcing IPL franchises to break their bank. In 2018, Morris went for INR 11 crore before the Bangalore outfit grabbed him for INR 10 crore in 2020. He hit the jackpot again in 2021, raging a bidding war between franchises before Rajasthan Royals snapped him up for a staggering INR 16 crore, enough to raise a few eyebrows.
In an otherwise insipid season for RCB in the UAE, Morris managed to pick up 11 wickets in 9 games at an economy of 6.63. Morris' ability to bowl in death overs alongside Jofra Archer and provide vital cameos with the bat worked in his favour and Royals splurged INR 16.25 crore on him.
Rajasthan Royals' Director of Cricket, Kumar Sangakkara, tried to explain the team's decision to go for Morris by saying, "We're also glad to get Chris Morris with us simply for what he brings to the side, both with the bat and ball. With the ball especially, his numbers across the IPLs are really good and his ability to finish games with the bat down the order is useful."
"We also have AJ (Andrew) Tye, Mustifizur (Rehman) and then we have young Indian quicks to support that, so it gives us a few more combinations that we can play and in that he (Morris) was quite crucial," Sangakkara further said on the Royals' rationale behind picking Morris.
Shelling out cash on players in IPL auctions is nothing short of a gamble. While some steal buys like Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya have evolved to world-class players, some million-dollar buys have gone down the drain. After a disappointing season and failing to justify their price tag, a few players have faced some serious heat on social media. Eventually, the franchises also tend to give up on such players.
Here are four such players:
Yuvraj Singh (2015 - 16 Cr)
India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh was bought for a whopping INR 16 cr by Delhi Capitals (Delhi Daredevils then) ahead of the IPL 2015. Contrary to expectations, Yuvraj was able to score just 248 runs in 14 games at an average of just 19, letting fans down with a string of bland performances.
On the bowling front, he managed to grab just one wicket and was released by the franchise ahead of the next season. Yuvraj was the most expensive player in the IPL auction before Morris broke his record on Thursday.
Pat Cummins (2020 - 15 Cr)
Australia's Pat Cummins, with a base price of INR 2 crore, was sold to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for Rs. 15.5 crore in the IPL 2020. The Kolkata outfit splurged a hefty sum on Cummins as the speedster became the most expensive international buy in the history of IPL, breaking Ben Stokes' price of INR 14.5 crore.
Cummins, however, failed to live up to his price tag as he put up a lacklustre show in UAE conditions. The most expensive foreign buy took 12 wickets in 14 matches with four of them coming in a single match. Many would've hoped for a better performance from Cummins but he didn't look like the bowler he is at the international stage.
Jaydev Unadkat (2018 - 11.5 Cr)
Unadkat is one of the very few bowlers who've gone for an exorbitant price in the IPL auctions. In 2018, Unadkat was the costliest Indian buy, fetching a mind-boggling INR 11.5 crore deal from Rajasthan Royals. Chennai Super Kings were also interested in signing him before the Royals snapped him up.
Coming into the tournament and delivering with a hefty price tag isn't an easy task. That's what happened with the Saurashtra pacer. Unadkat managed to pick only 11 wickets at an economy rate of 9.47. He was not even among the Top-25 in the leading wicket-takers list.
Glenn Maxwell (2020 - 10.75 Cr)
It's not an unusual sight to find Maxwell's name in the list of players who go for millions in the auction. The Australian all-rounder, bought for INR 10.75 crore by Kings XI Punjab, was dubbed as one of the biggest flops in the 13th season of the IPL.
Known for his big-hitting prowess, Maxwell had a disappointing last season in the UAE where he managed to score just 108 runs. He had a dismal average of 15.52 and a below-par strike rate of 101.88 in 13 games, ending his abysmal IPL 2020 campaign without hitting a single six. Maxwell's dismal show in UAE didn't hamper his value in the IPL 2021 auction as Royal Challengers Bangalore bought Australian all-rounder for a whopping 14.25 crore. He also became the second-highest overseas buy in the history of the tournament.
In the end, it all boils down to which player lives up to the hype of being sold for a huge amount. In the previous season, it was Maxwell and Cummins; and this year, all eyes will likely be on Morris to justify his bewildering price tag.
The 33-year-old South African, in his unnoticed stint with RCB in the UAE, had an economy of 6.63, only behind Josh Hazlewood (6.40) and Jofra Archer (6.55) in the list of overseas pacers. Add a bit of batting firepower to that on Morris can emerge as a valuable asset for Royals, complementing Archer in death overs and slogging alongside Ben Stokes in crunch situations. While Morris will be eyeing to leave an impact in Royals camp, Maxwell will be licking his lips for yet another IPL chance.
Here are the top five buys of the IPL 2021 Auction:
- Chris Morris to Rajasthan Royals (INR 16.25)
- Kyle Jamieson to Royal Challengers Bangalore (INR 15 cr)
- Glenn Maxwell to Royal Challengers Bangalore (14.25 cr)
- Jhye Richardson to Punjab Kings (INR 14 cr)
- K Gowtham to Chennai Super Kings (INR 9.25 cr)
