Living up to the hype is not easy, especially when you are one among the top auction buys in the world’s biggest T20 league. The 2019 edition of India’s top T20 tournament witnessed some terrific individual performances. From Shivam Dube to Carlos Brathwaite, we take a look at how each team’s most expensive signing has performed in the 2019 edition.
Shivam Dube (Bangalore) – ₹5 Crore
Despite fetching a whopping amount in the auction, the Mumbai-born all-rounder failed to make an impact in his first season. He played in the opening three matches, but scores of 2, 9* and 5 meant Akshdeep Nath replaced him in Bangalore playing 11.
Matches: 4, Runs: 40, Wickets: 0
Mohit Sharma (Chennai) – ₹5 Crore
Deepak Chahar’s impressive performances forced Chennai to leave Mohit Sharma, who was making his comeback after a back injury, on the bench. The medium-pacer made only one appearance in the entire season for the MS Dhoni-led side.
Matches: 1, Wickets: 1, Economy: 9.00
Colin Ingram (Delhi) – ₹6.40 Crore
Colin Ingram, who was playing in the league after a gap of eight years, struggled to live up to the price tag. The South African started his campaign with an excellent 47 against Mumbai, but only managed two 20-plus scores in the next 11 matches.
Matches: 12, Runs: 184, 50s: 0
Jonny Bairstow (Hyderabad) – ₹2.20 Crore
The Hyderabad fans couldn’t have asked for more from the Englishman. Jonny Bairstow lit up the league in his debut season in India. He registered his highest T20 score, 114 off 56 balls, and shared four 100-run partnerships with David Warner.
Matches: 10, Runs: 445, Strike Rate: 157
Carlos Brathwaite (Kolkata) – ₹5 Crore
Carlos Brathwaite had to wait till Kolkata’s seventh match to get a chance, but he failed to make an impact with bat or ball. Though the Caribbean power-hitter featured against Rajasthan at Eden Gardens, the result was the same. He had another season to forget in India.
Matches: 2, Runs: 11, Wickets: 0
Barinder Sran (Mumbai) – ₹3.40 Crore
The presence of Jasprit Bumrah, Jason Behrendorff, Lasith Malinga, and Mitchell McClenaghan meant Barinder Sran’s opportunities were limited. The left-arm pacer managed to play two matches but conceded plenty of runs and went wicketless.
Matches: 2, Wickets: 0, Economy: 12.75
Varun Chakravarthy (Punjab) – ₹8.40 Crore
Varun Chakravarthy, the joint-most expensive buy in the 2019 auction, went for 25 runs in his first-ever over in the league. He bounced back well and picked the wicket of Nitish Rana in the match. But his first season in India’s top T20 league was cut short by a finger injury.
Matches: 1, Wickets: 1, Economy: 8.75
Jaydev Unadkat (Rajasthan) – ₹8.40 Crore
The other joint-highest expensive buy in 2019 struggled for consistency in the league. Jaydev Unadkat, the only Indian to clinch two five-wicket hauls in the history of the league, couldn’t claim a three-wicket or a four-wicket haul in the season.
Matches: 11, Wickets: 10, Economy: 10.66
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