Halfway through IPL 2026, the tournament has thrown up heroes and villains. Among the villains are these five high-priced acquisitions whose performances have fallen flat, disappointing the franchises that broke the bank for them. A closer look at their stats reveals the gap between expectation and delivery.
Kolkata Knight Riders’ record-breaking 25.20 crore signing, Cameron Green, has been a puzzle. The Aussie all-rounder featured in seven games, scoring 162 runs in the top order at 27 average and 151 strike rate. Bowling woes compounded the issue: sidelined by back pain initially, he later took one wicket across three outings with a 14.16 economy. KKR fans are left wondering.
Sunrisers Hyderabad banked on Liam Livingstone’s big-hitting for 13 crore. The Englishman got two chances and flopped with 15 runs. His inability to accelerate has stalled SRH’s middle-order plans.
Karthik Sharma’s 14.20 crore move to Chennai Super Kings was headline news, but his IPL 2026 has been quiet. Three matches, 25 runs at 119 strike rate – far from the finisher role everyone anticipated.
After dazzling in T20 World Cup 2026, Finn Allen joined KKR for 2 crore as an opener. Five innings later, 81 runs at 16.20 average, no fifties. The explosive starter hasn’t ignited.
Glenn Phillips, Gujarat Titans’ 2 crore buy, mirrored the mediocrity with 67 runs in six games – average 16.75, strike rate 124.07. For a player famed for storming innings, this is uncharacteristic. With playoffs looming, can these stars salvage their seasons? Time will tell.
