Like every year, the Vivo IPL season 11 started with the star-studded auction with some very talented players going under the hammer. Franchises spent massive amounts of money on marquee players, hoping that they would be the game changers for them with their big hits or match turning spells. As a result, big money was splurged.
While batsmen such as KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Kane Williamson have lived up to their massive billing, many other star players have failed to justify the price that their respective franchises paid for them.
Let's take a look at the top five of such expensive flops of this season thus far.
#5 Brendon McCullum - 2.83 lakhs

There were a lot of expectations from the former New Zealand skipper when he was roped in by Royal Challengers Bangalore for a whopping sum of Rs.3.6 Crore in the IPL 2018 auctions.
However, the destructive Kiwi batsman was completely out of sorts this season and looked like a pale shadow of his former self. McCullum has scored only 127 runs in six innings at an average of 21 and a strike rate of 144 this season with his 27-ball-43 against KKR being his best.
Thus the 36-year-old has failed to repay the faith RCB had in him as every run Brendon McCullum scored has cost RCB 2.83 lakhs this season.
#4 Kieron Pollard - 4.06 lakhs

The big all-rounder from the Caribbean, Kieron Pollard, has been one of the mainstays of the Mumbai line-up over the years. This year too the West Indian giant was brought back in the auctions of IPL 11 by Mumbai Indians through Right To Match Card for Rs 5.40 Cr.
However, the 30-year-old has had a disastrous season this year as his scores this season read 28,0,5,21,9,13,50 and 7 which accumulate to 133 runs in eight innings. He scored them at an awful average of 19.00 and a mediocre strike rate of 133. Except for his innings of 23-ball-50 against Kings XI Punjab, Pollard never looked comfortable this season.
Pollard’s poor batting show didn't justify his role in the team and the money that was spent on him because every single run from his bat had cost Mumbai Indians 4.06 lakhs.
#3 Aaron Finch - 4.62 lakhs

After being roped in by Kings XI Punjab for a whopping Rs.6.2 Crore in the auctions of IPL 2018, Aaron Finch registered two consecutive ducks against RCB and CSK in his first two innings.
Finch could only manage to score 134 runs in nine innings at an average of 16.75 and a below-par strike rate of 134 this season with his 35-ball-46 against Mumbai Indians being his best. His lacklustre form eventually forced the KXIP management to drop him in favour of his Aussie compatriot Marcus Stoinis in the second half of the league stage.
Thus Finch's every single run has cost Kings XI Punjab 4.62 lakhs.
#2 Rohit Sharma - 5.24 lakhs

The Mumbai Indians skipper, Rohit Sharma, has not had best of the seasons this year. His total of 286 runs in 14 innings is the least he scored in an edition of the IPL.
Rohit did not do justice to the talent he possesses and this year he averaged 23.83. He was below par this season except for his knocks of 52-ball-94 and 33-ball-56 against RCB and CSK respectively.
The 31-year-old was retained by Mumbai Indians along with Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah this year for a gigantic Rs.15 Crore. Thus "the Hitman" was paid 5.2 lakhs for each run he scored.
#1 Glenn Maxwell - 5.32 lakhs

The swashbuckling batsman has become the Delhi Daredevils' costliest auction-buy for this season when he was bought for a whopping Rs.9 Crore in the auctions of VIVO IPL 2018.
But the 29-year-old unexpectedly failed to live up to his reputation and to repay the faith DD had in him. The Aussie could only manage to score 169 runs in 12 innings with his 22-ball-47 against KKR being his best this season. He scored them at an awful average of 14.08 and a mediocre strike-rate of 140.83.
Thus Maxwell was paid a huge 5.32 lakhs by Delhi Daredevils franchise for each run he scored this season.
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