IPL 2018: 5 big buys who haven't had a great impact so far

Over the years, the rise of domestic T20 Leagues around the world has caused cricketers to relinquish their national contracts. And when it comes to money and stature, the Indian Premier League stands apart from the rest.

IPL has become the biggest earning platform for cricketers around the world. The auctions each year is only getting bigger every season. In 2008, MS Dhoni was the costliest player in the IPL when he was bought by CSK for Rs. 6 crores.

That figure has been breached by a lot of players in the last 2-3 auctions. The franchises are not hesitant in shedding huge amounts for the big players.

However, big amounts do not always guarantee big performances. There have been players, in past seasons, who have flattered to deceive after being picked for an astonishing price.

Let us look at 5 such players who have yet not come to the party after being bought for some insane amounts.

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#5 Chris Woakes (RCB - Rs. 7.40 crores)

Woakes has not been in the best of forms in this IPL.

The bowling all-rounder from Warwickshire has been a regular for England in the limited overs cricket. His ability to bowl tight spells and his more than useful lower-order batting makes him the perfect player for T20 cricket.

He has been in some good form for England in recent times and hence an IPL contract was never really far away from him. CSK and RCB showed great interest in getting him in their respective squads, but in the end, RCB won the bidding war and bought him for Rs. 7.40 crores.

However, things haven't panned out as expected, so far. Woakes has not been able to contain runs for his team, and although he has taken 8 wickets, an economy of 10.47 is on the higher side. Additionally, he hasn't been able to provide any support with his batting in the lower-order.

Woakes would really want to contribute more to the team's cause after being picked for a hefty price.

#4 Glenn Maxwell (DD - Rs. 9 crores)

Maxwell needs to up his game in the coming matches.

Glenn Maxwell set the stage on fire in the 7th season of the IPL. After remaining largely on the sidelines for Mumbai Indians, he played for KXIP in 2014. His merciless batting turned out to be a nightmare for the bowlers.

The Victorian batsman is a match-winner and has, single-handedly, won many games for his teams in the past.

Although the swashbuckling batsman hasn't been in great form in recent times, his ability and skill can never be underestimated. He was bought by Delhi Daredevils for Rs. 9 crores after a battle between RR and SRH in the auctions.

Maxwell, somehow, hasn't had much impact till now with just 77 runs in 3 games.

Daredevils would dearly want the big-hitting batsman to win some games for the franchise.

#3 Chris Lynn (KKR - Rs. 9.60 crores)

Lynn has been off-colour so far in this season.

The Big Bash sensation has been known for his ability to clear the ground effortlessly and can hit top-gear from the first ball itself.

Lynn has played numerous match-winning innings for t20 teams around the world, and his most notable inning in the IPL came for KKR.

Going into the auctions this season, as many as five teams bid for him. However, KKR was finally successful in getting him for a whopping amount of Rs. 9.60 crores.

The right-handed batsman has been a touch off-colour this season so far. In the four games he has played till now, Lynn has scored a mere 107 runs at a strike-rate of 123, which is quite low by his standards.

#2 Jaydev Unadkat (RR - Rs. 11.50 crores)

Unadkat has an economy of 11.00 after first 4 matches.

Jaydev Unadkat has been around in the Indian cricketing circles for some time now. The left-arm pacer made his name in the U-19 World Cup and rose through the ranks quickly.

However, his debut for India was a forgettable one. Since then, the Saurashtra bowler has been improving his game every year in domestic cricket. Off late, he has become a lot more deceptive and has added a lot of tricks to his armoury.

Being a left-arm fast bowler who can bowl at the death, he was always going to be a big buy in IPL. As expected, franchises went all in to get him and RR came out as winners, buying him for a hefty price of Rs. 11.50 crores.

Undakat has played four games for RR till now. However, his bowling has been under the pump. He has just taken two wickets and leaked runs at an economy of 11.00.

#1 Ben Stokes (RR - Rs. 12.5 crores)

Ben Stokes needs to justify his price tag sooner than later.

The English all-rounder is one of the best in the business, so it came as no surprise that he was the costliest buy in this year's auctions.

Ben Stokes has the ability to change the course of the match with both bat and ball. His ability to hit big, as well as bowl economically, makes him the most sought-after player in t20 cricket.

Stokes went under the hammer at a base price of Rs. 2 crores. After a bidding battle between four franchises, he was finally bought by Rajasthan Royals for Rs. 12.5 crores.

However, Stokes is yet to play an impactful inning for the Rajasthan franchise. Having already lost Steve Smith, RR really needs the Englishman to perform.

So far, Stokes has scored 48 runs in 3 innings and bowled at an economy of 9.75.