The Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025) has reached its business end with four teams having secured an IPL 2025 playoffs berth. Several teams splunged big money on players, but they failed miserably. The expensive players in IPL 2025 were nothing but overhyped and overpriced, and thus flopped and didn’t justify their price tag. On that note, let’s take a quick look at the expensive players in IPL 2025 who have probably been the worst buy in IPL 2025 too.
5 Expensive Players in IPL 2025 Who Flopped
1. Rishabh Pant (Lucknow Super Giants) – 27 crores
Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in IPL history after being signed by Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2025 auction for 27 crores. He has had a horrific outing with the Super Giants, having scored 151 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 107.09. The Indian wicket-keeper batter averages 13.73 in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League, with a highest score of just 63 runs. Moreover, Pant has taken five catches and inflicted one stumping from behind the wickets.
Magnificent Malinga! 🪽😮
Athleticism on display from Eshan Malinga as he grabs a stunner to send back Rishabh Pant! 👌#LSG 133/2 after 13 overs.
Updates ▶ https://t.co/GNnZh90u7T#TATAIPL | #LSGvSRH | @SunRisers pic.twitter.com/5rSouA8Kw0
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 19, 2025
The 27-year-old player has been amongst the worst buy in IPL 2025 and hasn’t lived up to the fans’ expectations, and hasn’t justified his price tag either. The Lucknow Super Giants skipper has also made several decision-making choices, which have cost the franchise a few crucial points in the tournament.
2. Venkatesh Iyer (Kolkata Knight Riders) – 23.75 crores
Venkatesh Iyer is among the expensive players in IPL 2025. At the IPL 2025 mega auction, Kolkata Knight Riders roped him in for INR 23.75 Crore. He’s another Indian player who hasn’t justified his price tag, having scored just 142 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 139.22.
Venkatesh Iyer is likely to be traded to another team before the next season.
📰🚨 | Anandabazar Patrika pic.twitter.com/5zQVKAPQmE
— Knight Club : KKR (@KnightClub_KKR) May 22, 2025
The Indian batter averages 20.29 in the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League and has scored one half-century this season. With a highest score of 60 runs, Iyer’s runs with the bat aren’t enough for the salary he has been paid by the defending champions. The 30-year-old player hasn’t been a single over yet in the Indian Premier League 2025.
3. Rashid Khan (Gujarat Titans) – 18 crores
Rashid Khan was retained by the Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2025 auction with a price of ₹18 crore. He was among the worst buy in IPL 2025, having picked up eight wickets in 13 matches in IPL 2025. Rashid recorded his best bowling figures of 2/25 against the Kolkata Knight Riders and picked up two wickets against the Rajasthan Royals too. The Afghanistan player hasn’t been as effective as he used to be in the previous seasons of the Indian Premier League.
There is so much retention & release news going on – Thinking what the future holds for Rashid Khan 😅 pic.twitter.com/xvEj1tG1Z7
— RCBIANS OFFICIAL (@RcbianOfficial) May 22, 2025
The 26-year-old player has conceded 441 runs in 282 balls with an economy of 9.38. He hasn’t picked up plenty of wickets too and has been exposed to the players in the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League. Rashid, who usually has a decent outing with the bat, failed to contribute runs too. He has scored 28 runs in four innings, averaging 7.00 this season.
4. Marcus Stoinis (Punjab Kings) – 11 crores
Marcus Stoinis was signed by Punjab Kings in the IPL 2025 player auction for INR 11 crore. The Australian all-rounder is among the expensive players in IPL 2025 who flopped despite the Punjab Kings’ great outing so far this season.
Stoinis has scored 82 runs from eight matches at a strike rate of 167.35 and an average of 20.50. He has the highest score of an unbeaten 34 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, which came in a losing cause. The Australian player has remained not out thrice in IPL 2025 but failed to score at least one half-century this season. The 25-year-old player also failed to deliver with the ball as he’s wicketless in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League. Stoinis has scored 140 runs in 70 balls at an economy of 12.00. With him having failed in all aspects of the game, the all-rounder is surely in the worst buy of the IPL 2025 list.
5. Mohammed Shami (Sunrisers Hyderabad) – 10 crores
Star Indian pacer Mohammed Shami’s services were roped in by Sunrisers Hyderabad at the IPL 2025 player auction. He was signed for INR 10 Crore and has failed to pick up enough wickets in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League.
Shami has picked up six wickets in nine innings, with his best bowling figures of 2/28, which he registered against the Gujarat Titans. He has bagged one wicket each in four matches and has been wicketless on four occasions this IPL. The 34-year-old fast bowler has bowled 180 balls and conceded 337 runs at an economy of 11.23 in IPL 2025.
Final Words
The teams will have a big task ahead of them as they will have to take a call on whether to keep or release the overhyped and overpriced players ahead of next year’s IPL auction. The expensive players in IPL 2025 will either be retained by the teams if they feel the player should be given another opportunity, or released and signed for a cheaper price at the IPL 2025 player auction.
