A splurge doesn’t guarantee success.
Just like how it is in the world of football, the IPL too has a history of superstar cricketers turning out to be a damp squib after earning crores at the auction.
In the just-concluded IPL auction in Dubai on Tuesday, Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad had to shell out as much as Rs 24.75 crore and Rs 20.5 crore for Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, respectively.
Such a super-lumpsum amount did raise eyebrows, but the fact that both quicks were key to Australia’s triumph in this year’s ODI World Cup — particularly, producing game-turning spells in the final to help Australia outwit India — certainly went a fair extent in the franchises going all out for them.
Yes, T20 is a different format and both Starc and Cummins don’t really have a stellar record in the competition. But their overall quality as a cricketer cannot be overlooked.
That said, was it justified to spend as much as Rs 16.25 crore for former South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris, something Rajasthan Royals did at the auction for IPL 2021? Being the then most expensive buy, Morris played 11 games and averaged 13.40 with 36 not out being his highest score.
For a lower-order batter, his strike rate (136.73) too wasn’t as impressive. With the ball, the seamer all-rounder took 15 wickets with one four-wicket haul, but his economy rate read 9.17.
Morris’ price was overshadowed last year by England left-arm seamer all-rounder Sam Curran, who was in red-hot form after a successful T20 World Cup in 2022 and went to Punjab Kings for Rs 18.5 crore. But the then most expensive buy finished with only 10 wickets from 14 matches at an economy rate (10.22) he wouldn’t want to look back at.
With the bat, Curran did fare a tad better but far from outstanding — totalling 276 runs with a fifty, averaging 27.60 at a strike rate of 135.96.
Going a few years back, the erstwhile Delhi DareDevils fetched Yuvraj Singh — in the twilight of his career then — at Rs 16 crore ahead of IPL 2015. In that edition, the India white-ball stalwart aggregated 248 runs in 13 innings with two half-centuries but averaged 19.07 at a strike rate of 118.09. Delhi finished second from bottom that year.
The Royals, too, finished second from bottom in 2021 after splurging on Morris, while Punjab were eighth in this year’s IPL, in spite of having the 2022 T20 World Cup’s Player of the Tournament in their midst.
“Look, you cannot expect instant success just because you’ve acquired a star player. Otherwise, Cristiano Ronaldo would’ve been a huge hit after his return to Manchester United (in August 2021)," said one of the IPL franchise officials.
“Looking back at the Morris deal, those are more out of panic. That auction was a small one with not many players available. So such a situation can set a bit of panic among the franchises."
"Sometimes, the franchises look to take a punt on a promising player, having done the homework on him. That's why you see a Spencer Johnson (28-year-old Australian quick with international experience of just one ODI and two T20Is) going for Rs 10 crore to Gujarat Titans. Money is not an issue here."
However, Australia seamer all-rounder Cameron Green appears to be an exception. Going to Mumbai Indians at Rs 17.5 crore before IPL 2023, Green hit an unbeaten 100 and two fifties in 16 matches, averaging 50.22 at a very impressive strike rate (160.28).
He didn't bowl much though, taking six wickets at an economy rate of 9.50.
