3 overpriced players who might not live up to their price tag in IPL 2023

The 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction came and went as teams splurged on international and domestic cricketers to strengthen their rosters ahead of the 16th edition of the competition.

Sam Curran was the most expensive pick in the IPL 2023 auction as the Punjab Kings (PBKS) snapped him up for a record ₹18.25 crore. Several other high-profile names attracted massive bids along expected lines, but not all of them are likely to justify their price tags.

Here are three overpriced players who might not live up to their auction amounts in IPL 2023.

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#3 Cameron Green

Australia v Sri Lanka - ICC Men's T20 World Cup

The Mumbai Indians (MI) shelled out a whopping ₹17.5 crore to acquire Cameron Green's services at the IPL 2023 auction. They went hard for Sam Curran, but after losing the race turned their attention to the Aussie instead.

Green plugs a hole in their squad - as a pace-bowling all-rounder, he will bridge the gap between the batting and the bowling departments. But was he worth the massive price tag? In 21 career T20 matches, the 23-year-old averages 16.33 with only two fifties to his name. With the ball, he has scalped five wickets at an economy rate of 9.04.

More importantly, while he might have a high ceiling, Green could be out of place in the MI playing XI. He is probably at his best while opening the batting, but the five-time champions will need him to man the lower-middle order. The overseas combination might also trouble Mumbai.

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#2 Nicholas Pooran

ICC Men's T20 Media Opportunity

Nicholas Pooran was one of the most expensive purchases in the IPL 2022 mega-auction, but the Sunrisers Hyderabad decided to release him into the pool. Shockingly, the batter went for even more in the 2023 auction as the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) snapped him up for ₹16 crore.

Pooran performed well for the Deccan Gladiators in the recently concluded Abu Dhabi T10 league, but his white-ball form has been far from promising. The left-hander averaged 26.91 at a strike rate of 132.8 over the course of 47 T20 matches in 2022, with a highest score of 74*.

Pooran was a decent performer for Hyderabad in IPL 2022, but he might not be able to have the kind of season his price tag expects him to for LSG.

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#1 Ben Stokes

Pakistan v England - Third Test Match: Day Four

In perhaps the shock of the IPL 2023 auction, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who are known to be rather shy in splashing the cash, went hard for Ben Stokes. The Englishman commanded ₹16.25 crore, with the Men in Yellow turning back the clock to their purchase of his countryman Andrew Flintoff.

Needless to say, Flintoff's signing didn't go to plan for CSK as he struggled with injuries and failed to make an impact. Will Stokes' case turn out to be different? The superstar all-rounder's best position in T20 cricket is at the top of the order, and he might not be given that role. His death bowling isn't great either, an area the Super Kings would dearly love for him to contribute in.

Stokes is a match-winner, but he surely isn't worth what CSK paid for him at the IPL 2023 auction. He might struggle to justify the amount, although it must be said that if there's one franchise that knows how to get the best out of their players, it's the Chennai Super Kings.