The 7-week tournament is over now as Mumbai Indians were crowned champions on Sunday night when they won a nail-biter against RPS in Hyderabad by 1 run. It was a see-saw final where Mumbai held their nerves to produce a solid bowling performance to win the game. RPS paid the price of being too cautious on the big night.

The IPL is a regular feature every year as the tournament is widely followed across India. Teams made sure that they had the right personnel going into the tournament as they bided aggressively at the IPL auctions held in February. There were a lot of unexpected buys this year and a few top players missed out as well for they did not get any buyers.

The record for the most expensive overseas player was breached this season as English all-rounder Ben Stokes was sold for a record Rs 14.5 crores to Rising Pune Supergiant. A lot of cricketers attracted big bucks at the auctions but not everyone performed to the expectations.

Let us have a look at the 10 most expensive players in the IPL this year and their respective performances:

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/05/Ben-Stokes-RPS.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-140803" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ben-Stokes-RPS.jpg" alt="Ben Stokes" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-140803" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Stokes of Rising Pune Supergiant. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption>

The RPS skipper Steve Smith revealed that he had spoken to the team management to acquire Stokes at any cost. The 25-year old was snapped for Rs 14.5 crores which surprised Stokes himself. The all-rounder took a little while to get used to the conditions and later formed a crucial cog in the wheels of RPS. Stokes did a great job with the ball and was particularly effective at the death. In 12 games played by Stokes this year, he picked 12 wickets at an economy rate of 7.18.

Stokes had just one fifty with the bat till he struck a memorable hundred against Gujarat Lions which helped his side chase down 162. The left-hander hit 6 sixes and 7 boundaries in his innings of 103* which came off just 63 balls. Stokes recorded 316 runs in 11 innings at 31.60 and a strike rate of 143. All in all, Stokes had a terrific debut in the IPL. He had to leave for national duty ahead of the Playoffs, though RPS would have loved to have him in for the big games.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/04/Tymal-Mills-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-129118" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Tymal-Mills-1.jpg" alt="Tymal Mills" width="600" height="413" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-129118" class="wp-caption-text">Tymal Mills. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

Mills specializes in T20 cricket and had impressed Virat Kohli ahead of the IPL when England played India in a T20 series. RCB bided successfully and acquired Mills for a huge price of Rs 12 crore. Unfortunately for RCB, the left-arm quick could not set the stage on fire and his season was curtailed to just 5 games.

The English bowler picked up just 5 wickets and gave away runs at an alarming rate of 8.57. RCB had a poor season this year and expected more from Mills in whom they had invested a lot. In hindsight, maybe RCB could have given Mills a few more games to prove his mettle, something which RPS did for their overseas recruit, Ben Stokes.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/04/Kagiso-Rabada.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-136727" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Kagiso-Rabada.jpg" alt="Kagiso Rabada" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-136727" class="wp-caption-text">Kagiso Rabada. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

Rabada is one of the finest young fast bowlers going around in world cricket. He was picked by Delhi Daredevils in the auctions for Rs 5 crore. The South African quick was benched by Daredevils in the first phase of the tournament till he was given an opportunity to play against Mumbai Indians. Rabada came up with an all-round performance in his debut IPL game as he returned with 1/30 and scored 44 crucial runs with the bat. His performance still could not get his side across the line but the right arm fast bowler had made a selection case for himself.

Rabada performed well this year barring one game against Sunrisers where he went for 59 runs in four overs. He picked 6 wickets in 6 games but these numbers do not show his efforts with the ball this season. Daredevils must have played him in more games to take the best out of him.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/04/Trent-Boult-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-136715" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Trent-Boult-1.jpg" alt="Trent Boult" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-136715" class="wp-caption-text">Trent Boult. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

Trent Boult has over 300 international wickets but had appeared in just 8 games in the IPL before the start of this year’s season. The Kiwi fast bowler was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 5 crore. Since they had invested so much on Boult, KKR played him in their season opener. The first few games were less successful and Boult saw himself out of the XI soon.

The left arm quick picked just 5 wickets from 6 games this year. He could not replicate the international success that he has got in the IPL. Teams attacked Boult to put pressure on the Kiwi as he had an economy of 9.06 this year. KKR expected more from this star overseas bowler and Boult must be very disappointed with his poor outing this year.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/04/Pat-Cummins.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-133635" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Pat-Cummins.jpg" alt="Pat Cummins Delhi Daredevils" width="600" height="406" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-133635" class="wp-caption-text">Pat Cummins. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Delhi bided successfully for Pat Cummins and acquired the Australian for Rs 4.5 crore. Cummins had been a part of the KKR franchise earlier but had picked just 2 wickets in 4 games spread across 2 seasons. Cummins, though, was very successful for Daredevils this year as he picked 15 wickets in 12 games he played this year.

He was a regular feature in the XI for DD and kept Rabada on the sidelines. His ability with the bat gave him an edge over Rabada initially. Cummins conceded runs at 8.07 runs an over which is acceptable in today’s day and age.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/04/Chris-Woakes-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-137252" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Chris-Woakes-1.jpg" alt="Chris Woakes Kolkata Knight Riders" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-137252" class="wp-caption-text">Chris Woakes. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Like his countrymen Tymal Mills and Ben Stokes, Woakes was also in popular demand and was eventually snapped by KKR for Rs 4.2 crores. A fast bowler by trade who can be very effective with the bat, KKR placed a bet on Woakes who comes across as a utility player. Aged 28, Woakes was taking part in the IPL for the first time in his career.

He went about his business decently this year as he picked 17 wickets from 13 games, the joint highest wickets by a KKR bowler, to end the season satisfyingly. Woakes&#8217;s economy rate of 8.77 was a little on the higher side but he gave Gambhir the much-needed wickets. He did not get too many opportunities to showcase his talent with the bat but was a very safe outfielder as he took 6 catches this year. Woakes&#8217;s best performance came in the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-10-match-27-kkr-v-rcb-review-bowlers-hand-kkr-historic-win-bowl-rcb-49/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">49-run rout of RCB</a>, where the all-rounder ended with remarkable figures of 3/7.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/05/Rashid-Khan-IPL-2017.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-143815" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Rashid-Khan-IPL-2017.jpg" alt="Rashid Khan of Sunrisers Hyderabad" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-143815" class="wp-caption-text">Rashid Khan of Sunrisers Hyderabad. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption>

Young Rashid Khan’s acquisition by Sunrisers Hyderabad for a hefty amount of Rs 4 crores raised a lot of eyebrows. He had done well for his country but that was not exactly against quality players as Afghanistan hardly played top ranked sides. He had the ability, no doubt about that, but people had their apprehensions if Rashid could do that in the IPL.

Rashid took to the IPL like a fish to water. He excelled in his debut season picking 17 wickets in 14 games. Nobody expected Rashid to play all games for SRH this year but his accuracy and a well-disguised googly tempted Warner to have him in every game. His economy rate of 6.62 was the best amongst the SRH bowlers who had bowled more than 11 overs. His fielding skills at the boundary line also impressed everyone.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/04/Virat-Kohli-9.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-137196" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-9.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli Nathan Coulter-Nile" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-137196" class="wp-caption-text">Nathan Coulter-Nile dismissed Virat Kohli. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-10-match-27-kkr-vs-rcb-ct-player-match-nathan-coulter-nile/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Coulter-Nile</a> hadn’t played any competitive cricket for almost 10 months leading into the IPL. KKR punted on him by buying him for Rs 3.5 crore despite him not getting adequate game-time ahead of the tournament. The Australian fast bowler repaid the faith by producing stellar spells. He was Man of the Match in 3 out of the 8 games he played this year in which he picked up 15 wickets.

Coulter-Nile wasn’t fit for the entire length of the tournament which probably cost KKR a spot in the first two positions in the points table. His best performance came against RCB when he delivered an outstanding spell of 3/21 against RCB defending a lot score of 131. RCB’s top order was rocked by some fine fast bowling by Coulter-Nile as the others chipped in to skittle them out for 49.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/05/Karn-Sharma-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-145790" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Karn-Sharma-1.jpg" alt="Karn Sharma of Mumbai Indians celebrates fall of a wicket" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-145790" class="wp-caption-text">Karn Sharma of Mumbai Indians celebrates fall of a wicket. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption>

The railway&#8217;s leg-spinner did not play much in the league stages until an injury to Krunal Pandya gave him a chance to come in the XI. His performances were middling in the first few games. Because he is a wrist spinner, he was persisted with and the think-tank, in a tactical move, played him ahead of Harbhajan Singh in the Playoffs and the finals as well.

Karn Sharma raised his game when the pressure was immense. In 2 Playoff games and the final, Karn picked 5 wickets and gave away runs at just 5.33 runs an over, which included a career best <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/twitter-reactions-karn-sharma-runs-havoc-chinnaswamy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">4/16 against KKR in the 2nd Qualifier</a>. Overall, the leg-spinner has 13 sticks off 9 games against his name. He was bought by Mumbai for Rs  3.2 crores in the auction and he was worth every penny of it.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/02/T.-Natarajan-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-113229" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/T.-Natarajan-1.jpg" alt="T. Natarajan IPL 2017 Thangarasu Natarajan" width="600" height="408" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-113229" class="wp-caption-text">T. Natarajan. (Photo Source: Sportstarlive)</figcaption>

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/facts-t-natarajan-new-indian-pacer-blocks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Natarajan</a> was the most expensive uncapped player this year as he was snapped for Rs 3 crore by Kings XI Punjab. This unheralded bowler plays his cricket for Tamil Nadu and was bought by Punjab following his decent showings in domestic cricket.

The left-arm fast bowler could not live up to the expectations of his franchise as he could capture just 2 wickets in 6 games. His economy rate of over 9 runs an over meant that Punjab could not play him on a consistent basis.

The 7-week tournament is over now as Mumbai Indians were crowned champions on Sunday night when they won a nail-biter against RPS in Hyderabad by 1 run. It was a see-saw final where Mumbai held their nerves to produce a solid bowling performance to win the game. RPS paid the price of being too cautious on the big night.
The IPL is a regular feature every year as the tournament is widely followed across India. Teams made sure that they had the right personnel going into the tournament as they bided aggressively at the IPL auctions held in February. There were a lot of unexpected buys this year and a few top players missed out as well for they did not get any buyers.
The record for the most expensive overseas player was breached this season as English all-rounder Ben Stokes was sold for a record Rs 14.5 crores to Rising Pune Supergiant. A lot of cricketers attracted big bucks at the auctions but not everyone performed to the expectations.
Let us have a look at the 10 most expensive players in the IPL this year and their respective performances:
<h3>#1 Ben Stokes</h3>
<figure id="attachment_140803" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-140803" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/05/Ben-Stokes-RPS.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-140803" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ben-Stokes-RPS.jpg" alt="Ben Stokes" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-140803" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Stokes of Rising Pune Supergiant. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption></figure>
The RPS skipper Steve Smith revealed that he had spoken to the team management to acquire Stokes at any cost. The 25-year old was snapped for Rs 14.5 crores which surprised Stokes himself. The all-rounder took a little while to get used to the conditions and later formed a crucial cog in the wheels of RPS. Stokes did a great job with the ball and was particularly effective at the death. In 12 games played by Stokes this year, he picked 12 wickets at an economy rate of 7.18.
Stokes had just one fifty with the bat till he struck a memorable hundred against Gujarat Lions which helped his side chase down 162. The left-hander hit 6 sixes and 7 boundaries in his innings of 103* which came off just 63 balls. Stokes recorded 316 runs in 11 innings at 31.60 and a strike rate of 143. All in all, Stokes had a terrific debut in the IPL. He had to leave for national duty ahead of the Playoffs, though RPS would have loved to have him in for the big games.

<h3>#2 Tymal Mills</h3>
<figure id="attachment_129118" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-129118" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/04/Tymal-Mills-1.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-129118" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Tymal-Mills-1.jpg" alt="Tymal Mills" width="600" height="413" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-129118" class="wp-caption-text">Tymal Mills. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
Mills specializes in T20 cricket and had impressed Virat Kohli ahead of the IPL when England played India in a T20 series. RCB bided successfully and acquired Mills for a huge price of Rs 12 crore. Unfortunately for RCB, the left-arm quick could not set the stage on fire and his season was curtailed to just 5 games.
The English bowler picked up just 5 wickets and gave away runs at an alarming rate of 8.57. RCB had a poor season this year and expected more from Mills in whom they had invested a lot. In hindsight, maybe RCB could have given Mills a few more games to prove his mettle, something which RPS did for their overseas recruit, Ben Stokes.

<h3>#3 Kagiso Rabada</h3>
<figure id="attachment_136727" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-136727" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/04/Kagiso-Rabada.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-136727" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Kagiso-Rabada.jpg" alt="Kagiso Rabada" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-136727" class="wp-caption-text">Kagiso Rabada. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
Rabada is one of the finest young fast bowlers going around in world cricket. He was picked by Delhi Daredevils in the auctions for Rs 5 crore. The South African quick was benched by Daredevils in the first phase of the tournament till he was given an opportunity to play against Mumbai Indians. Rabada came up with an all-round performance in his debut IPL game as he returned with 1/30 and scored 44 crucial runs with the bat. His performance still could not get his side across the line but the right arm fast bowler had made a selection case for himself.
Rabada performed well this year barring one game against Sunrisers where he went for 59 runs in four overs. He picked 6 wickets in 6 games but these numbers do not show his efforts with the ball this season. Daredevils must have played him in more games to take the best out of him.

<h3>#4 Trent Boult</h3>
<figure id="attachment_136715" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-136715" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/04/Trent-Boult-1.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-136715" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Trent-Boult-1.jpg" alt="Trent Boult" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-136715" class="wp-caption-text">Trent Boult. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
Trent Boult has over 300 international wickets but had appeared in just 8 games in the IPL before the start of this year’s season. The Kiwi fast bowler was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 5 crore. Since they had invested so much on Boult, KKR played him in their season opener. The first few games were less successful and Boult saw himself out of the XI soon.
The left arm quick picked just 5 wickets from 6 games this year. He could not replicate the international success that he has got in the IPL. Teams attacked Boult to put pressure on the Kiwi as he had an economy of 9.06 this year. KKR expected more from this star overseas bowler and Boult must be very disappointed with his poor outing this year.

<h3>#5 Pat Cummins</h3>
<figure id="attachment_133635" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-133635" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/04/Pat-Cummins.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-133635" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Pat-Cummins.jpg" alt="Pat Cummins Delhi Daredevils" width="600" height="406" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-133635" class="wp-caption-text">Pat Cummins. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Delhi bided successfully for Pat Cummins and acquired the Australian for Rs 4.5 crore. Cummins had been a part of the KKR franchise earlier but had picked just 2 wickets in 4 games spread across 2 seasons. Cummins, though, was very successful for Daredevils this year as he picked 15 wickets in 12 games he played this year.
He was a regular feature in the XI for DD and kept Rabada on the sidelines. His ability with the bat gave him an edge over Rabada initially. Cummins conceded runs at 8.07 runs an over which is acceptable in today’s day and age.

<h3>#6 Chris Woakes</h3>
<figure id="attachment_137252" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-137252" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/04/Chris-Woakes-1.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-137252" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Chris-Woakes-1.jpg" alt="Chris Woakes Kolkata Knight Riders" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-137252" class="wp-caption-text">Chris Woakes. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Like his countrymen Tymal Mills and Ben Stokes, Woakes was also in popular demand and was eventually snapped by KKR for Rs 4.2 crores. A fast bowler by trade who can be very effective with the bat, KKR placed a bet on Woakes who comes across as a utility player. Aged 28, Woakes was taking part in the IPL for the first time in his career.
He went about his business decently this year as he picked 17 wickets from 13 games, the joint highest wickets by a KKR bowler, to end the season satisfyingly. Woakes’s economy rate of 8.77 was a little on the higher side but he gave Gambhir the much-needed wickets. He did not get too many opportunities to showcase his talent with the bat but was a very safe outfielder as he took 6 catches this year. Woakes’s best performance came in the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-10-match-27-kkr-v-rcb-review-bowlers-hand-kkr-historic-win-bowl-rcb-49/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">49-run rout of RCB</a>, where the all-rounder ended with remarkable figures of 3/7.

<h3>#7 Rashid Khan</h3>
<figure id="attachment_143815" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-143815" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/05/Rashid-Khan-IPL-2017.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-143815" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Rashid-Khan-IPL-2017.jpg" alt="Rashid Khan of Sunrisers Hyderabad" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-143815" class="wp-caption-text">Rashid Khan of Sunrisers Hyderabad. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption></figure>
Young Rashid Khan’s acquisition by Sunrisers Hyderabad for a hefty amount of Rs 4 crores raised a lot of eyebrows. He had done well for his country but that was not exactly against quality players as Afghanistan hardly played top ranked sides. He had the ability, no doubt about that, but people had their apprehensions if Rashid could do that in the IPL.
Rashid took to the IPL like a fish to water. He excelled in his debut season picking 17 wickets in 14 games. Nobody expected Rashid to play all games for SRH this year but his accuracy and a well-disguised googly tempted Warner to have him in every game. His economy rate of 6.62 was the best amongst the SRH bowlers who had bowled more than 11 overs. His fielding skills at the boundary line also impressed everyone.

<h3>#8 Nathan Coulter-Nile</h3>
<figure id="attachment_137196" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-137196" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/04/Virat-Kohli-9.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-137196" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-9.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli Nathan Coulter-Nile" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-137196" class="wp-caption-text">Nathan Coulter-Nile dismissed Virat Kohli. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-10-match-27-kkr-vs-rcb-ct-player-match-nathan-coulter-nile/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Coulter-Nile</a> hadn’t played any competitive cricket for almost 10 months leading into the IPL. KKR punted on him by buying him for Rs 3.5 crore despite him not getting adequate game-time ahead of the tournament. The Australian fast bowler repaid the faith by producing stellar spells. He was Man of the Match in 3 out of the 8 games he played this year in which he picked up 15 wickets.
Coulter-Nile wasn’t fit for the entire length of the tournament which probably cost KKR a spot in the first two positions in the points table. His best performance came against RCB when he delivered an outstanding spell of 3/21 against RCB defending a lot score of 131. RCB’s top order was rocked by some fine fast bowling by Coulter-Nile as the others chipped in to skittle them out for 49.

<h3>#9 Karn Sharma</h3>
<figure id="attachment_145790" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-145790" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/05/Karn-Sharma-1.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-145790" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Karn-Sharma-1.jpg" alt="Karn Sharma of Mumbai Indians celebrates fall of a wicket" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-145790" class="wp-caption-text">Karn Sharma of Mumbai Indians celebrates fall of a wicket. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption></figure>
The railway’s leg-spinner did not play much in the league stages until an injury to Krunal Pandya gave him a chance to come in the XI. His performances were middling in the first few games. Because he is a wrist spinner, he was persisted with and the think-tank, in a tactical move, played him ahead of Harbhajan Singh in the Playoffs and the finals as well.
Karn Sharma raised his game when the pressure was immense. In 2 Playoff games and the final, Karn picked 5 wickets and gave away runs at just 5.33 runs an over, which included a career best <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/twitter-reactions-karn-sharma-runs-havoc-chinnaswamy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">4/16 against KKR in the 2nd Qualifier</a>. Overall, the leg-spinner has 13 sticks off 9 games against his name. He was bought by Mumbai for Rs&nbsp; 3.2 crores in the auction and he was worth every penny of it.

<h3>#10 T Natarajan</h3>
<figure id="attachment_113229" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-113229" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/02/T.-Natarajan-1.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-113229" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/T.-Natarajan-1.jpg" alt="T. Natarajan IPL 2017 Thangarasu Natarajan" width="600" height="408" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-113229" class="wp-caption-text">T. Natarajan. (Photo Source: Sportstarlive)</figcaption></figure>
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/facts-t-natarajan-new-indian-pacer-blocks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Natarajan</a> was the most expensive uncapped player this year as he was snapped for Rs 3 crore by Kings XI Punjab. This unheralded bowler plays his cricket for Tamil Nadu and was bought by Punjab following his decent showings in domestic cricket.
The left-arm fast bowler could not live up to the expectations of his franchise as he could capture just 2 wickets in 6 games. His economy rate of over 9 runs an over meant that Punjab could not play him on a consistent basis.

The 7-week tournament is over now as Mumbai Indians were crowned champions on Sunday night when they won a nail-biter against RPS in Hyderabad by 1 run. It was a see-saw final where Mumbai held their nerves to produce a solid bowling performance to win the game. RPS paid the price of being too cautious on the big night.
The IPL is a regular feature every year as the tournament is widely followed across India. Teams made sure that they had the right personnel going into the tournament as they bided aggressively at the IPL auctions held in February. There were a lot of unexpected buys this year and a few top players missed out as well for they did not get any buyers.
The record for the most expensive overseas player was breached this season as English all-rounder Ben Stokes was sold for a record Rs 14.5 crores to Rising Pune Supergiant. A lot of cricketers attracted big bucks at the auctions but not everyone performed to the expectations.
Let us have a look at the 10 most expensive players in the IPL this year and their respective performances:
<h3>#1 Ben Stokes</h3>
<figure id="attachment_140803" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-140803" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/05/Ben-Stokes-RPS.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-140803" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ben-Stokes-RPS.jpg" alt="Ben Stokes" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-140803" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Stokes of Rising Pune Supergiant. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption></figure>
The RPS skipper Steve Smith revealed that he had spoken to the team management to acquire Stokes at any cost. The 25-year old was snapped for Rs 14.5 crores which surprised Stokes himself. The all-rounder took a little while to get used to the conditions and later formed a crucial cog in the wheels of RPS. Stokes did a great job with the ball and was particularly effective at the death. In 12 games played by Stokes this year, he picked 12 wickets at an economy rate of 7.18.
Stokes had just one fifty with the bat till he struck a memorable hundred against Gujarat Lions which helped his side chase down 162. The left-hander hit 6 sixes and 7 boundaries in his innings of 103* which came off just 63 balls. Stokes recorded 316 runs in 11 innings at 31.60 and a strike rate of 143. All in all, Stokes had a terrific debut in the IPL. He had to leave for national duty ahead of the Playoffs, though RPS would have loved to have him in for the big games.

<h3>#2 Tymal Mills</h3>
<figure id="attachment_129118" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-129118" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/04/Tymal-Mills-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-129118" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Tymal-Mills-1.jpg" alt="Tymal Mills" width="600" height="413" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-129118" class="wp-caption-text">Tymal Mills. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
Mills specializes in T20 cricket and had impressed Virat Kohli ahead of the IPL when England played India in a T20 series. RCB bided successfully and acquired Mills for a huge price of Rs 12 crore. Unfortunately for RCB, the left-arm quick could not set the stage on fire and his season was curtailed to just 5 games.
The English bowler picked up just 5 wickets and gave away runs at an alarming rate of 8.57. RCB had a poor season this year and expected more from Mills in whom they had invested a lot. In hindsight, maybe RCB could have given Mills a few more games to prove his mettle, something which RPS did for their overseas recruit, Ben Stokes.

<h3>#3 Kagiso Rabada</h3>
<figure id="attachment_136727" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-136727" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/04/Kagiso-Rabada.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-136727" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Kagiso-Rabada.jpg" alt="Kagiso Rabada" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-136727" class="wp-caption-text">Kagiso Rabada. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
Rabada is one of the finest young fast bowlers going around in world cricket. He was picked by Delhi Daredevils in the auctions for Rs 5 crore. The South African quick was benched by Daredevils in the first phase of the tournament till he was given an opportunity to play against Mumbai Indians. Rabada came up with an all-round performance in his debut IPL game as he returned with 1/30 and scored 44 crucial runs with the bat. His performance still could not get his side across the line but the right arm fast bowler had made a selection case for himself.
Rabada performed well this year barring one game against Sunrisers where he went for 59 runs in four overs. He picked 6 wickets in 6 games but these numbers do not show his efforts with the ball this season. Daredevils must have played him in more games to take the best out of him.

<h3>#4 Trent Boult</h3>
<figure id="attachment_136715" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-136715" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/04/Trent-Boult-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-136715" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Trent-Boult-1.jpg" alt="Trent Boult" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-136715" class="wp-caption-text">Trent Boult. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
Trent Boult has over 300 international wickets but had appeared in just 8 games in the IPL before the start of this year’s season. The Kiwi fast bowler was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 5 crore. Since they had invested so much on Boult, KKR played him in their season opener. The first few games were less successful and Boult saw himself out of the XI soon.
The left arm quick picked just 5 wickets from 6 games this year. He could not replicate the international success that he has got in the IPL. Teams attacked Boult to put pressure on the Kiwi as he had an economy of 9.06 this year. KKR expected more from this star overseas bowler and Boult must be very disappointed with his poor outing this year.

<h3>#5 Pat Cummins</h3>
<figure id="attachment_133635" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-133635" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/04/Pat-Cummins.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-133635" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Pat-Cummins.jpg" alt="Pat Cummins Delhi Daredevils" width="600" height="406" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-133635" class="wp-caption-text">Pat Cummins. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Delhi bided successfully for Pat Cummins and acquired the Australian for Rs 4.5 crore. Cummins had been a part of the KKR franchise earlier but had picked just 2 wickets in 4 games spread across 2 seasons. Cummins, though, was very successful for Daredevils this year as he picked 15 wickets in 12 games he played this year.
He was a regular feature in the XI for DD and kept Rabada on the sidelines. His ability with the bat gave him an edge over Rabada initially. Cummins conceded runs at 8.07 runs an over which is acceptable in today’s day and age.

<h3>#6 Chris Woakes</h3>
<figure id="attachment_137252" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-137252" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/04/Chris-Woakes-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-137252" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Chris-Woakes-1.jpg" alt="Chris Woakes Kolkata Knight Riders" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-137252" class="wp-caption-text">Chris Woakes. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Like his countrymen Tymal Mills and Ben Stokes, Woakes was also in popular demand and was eventually snapped by KKR for Rs 4.2 crores. A fast bowler by trade who can be very effective with the bat, KKR placed a bet on Woakes who comes across as a utility player. Aged 28, Woakes was taking part in the IPL for the first time in his career.
He went about his business decently this year as he picked 17 wickets from 13 games, the joint highest wickets by a KKR bowler, to end the season satisfyingly. Woakes&#8217;s economy rate of 8.77 was a little on the higher side but he gave Gambhir the much-needed wickets. He did not get too many opportunities to showcase his talent with the bat but was a very safe outfielder as he took 6 catches this year. Woakes&#8217;s best performance came in the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-10-match-27-kkr-v-rcb-review-bowlers-hand-kkr-historic-win-bowl-rcb-49/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">49-run rout of RCB</a>, where the all-rounder ended with remarkable figures of 3/7.

<h3>#7 Rashid Khan</h3>
<figure id="attachment_143815" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-143815" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/05/Rashid-Khan-IPL-2017.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-143815" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Rashid-Khan-IPL-2017.jpg" alt="Rashid Khan of Sunrisers Hyderabad" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-143815" class="wp-caption-text">Rashid Khan of Sunrisers Hyderabad. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption></figure>
Young Rashid Khan’s acquisition by Sunrisers Hyderabad for a hefty amount of Rs 4 crores raised a lot of eyebrows. He had done well for his country but that was not exactly against quality players as Afghanistan hardly played top ranked sides. He had the ability, no doubt about that, but people had their apprehensions if Rashid could do that in the IPL.
Rashid took to the IPL like a fish to water. He excelled in his debut season picking 17 wickets in 14 games. Nobody expected Rashid to play all games for SRH this year but his accuracy and a well-disguised googly tempted Warner to have him in every game. His economy rate of 6.62 was the best amongst the SRH bowlers who had bowled more than 11 overs. His fielding skills at the boundary line also impressed everyone.

<h3>#8 Nathan Coulter-Nile</h3>
<figure id="attachment_137196" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-137196" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/04/Virat-Kohli-9.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-137196" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-9.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli Nathan Coulter-Nile" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-137196" class="wp-caption-text">Nathan Coulter-Nile dismissed Virat Kohli. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-10-match-27-kkr-vs-rcb-ct-player-match-nathan-coulter-nile/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Coulter-Nile</a> hadn’t played any competitive cricket for almost 10 months leading into the IPL. KKR punted on him by buying him for Rs 3.5 crore despite him not getting adequate game-time ahead of the tournament. The Australian fast bowler repaid the faith by producing stellar spells. He was Man of the Match in 3 out of the 8 games he played this year in which he picked up 15 wickets.
Coulter-Nile wasn’t fit for the entire length of the tournament which probably cost KKR a spot in the first two positions in the points table. His best performance came against RCB when he delivered an outstanding spell of 3/21 against RCB defending a lot score of 131. RCB’s top order was rocked by some fine fast bowling by Coulter-Nile as the others chipped in to skittle them out for 49.

<h3>#9 Karn Sharma</h3>
<figure id="attachment_145790" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-145790" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/05/Karn-Sharma-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-145790" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Karn-Sharma-1.jpg" alt="Karn Sharma of Mumbai Indians celebrates fall of a wicket" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-145790" class="wp-caption-text">Karn Sharma of Mumbai Indians celebrates fall of a wicket. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption></figure>
The railway&#8217;s leg-spinner did not play much in the league stages until an injury to Krunal Pandya gave him a chance to come in the XI. His performances were middling in the first few games. Because he is a wrist spinner, he was persisted with and the think-tank, in a tactical move, played him ahead of Harbhajan Singh in the Playoffs and the finals as well.
Karn Sharma raised his game when the pressure was immense. In 2 Playoff games and the final, Karn picked 5 wickets and gave away runs at just 5.33 runs an over, which included a career best <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/twitter-reactions-karn-sharma-runs-havoc-chinnaswamy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">4/16 against KKR in the 2nd Qualifier</a>. Overall, the leg-spinner has 13 sticks off 9 games against his name. He was bought by Mumbai for Rs  3.2 crores in the auction and he was worth every penny of it.

<h3>#10 T Natarajan</h3>
<figure id="attachment_113229" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-113229" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2017/02/T.-Natarajan-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-113229" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/T.-Natarajan-1.jpg" alt="T. Natarajan IPL 2017 Thangarasu Natarajan" width="600" height="408" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-113229" class="wp-caption-text">T. Natarajan. (Photo Source: Sportstarlive)</figcaption></figure>
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/facts-t-natarajan-new-indian-pacer-blocks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Natarajan</a> was the most expensive uncapped player this year as he was snapped for Rs 3 crore by Kings XI Punjab. This unheralded bowler plays his cricket for Tamil Nadu and was bought by Punjab following his decent showings in domestic cricket.
The left-arm fast bowler could not live up to the expectations of his franchise as he could capture just 2 wickets in 6 games. His economy rate of over 9 runs an over meant that Punjab could not play him on a consistent basis.

The likes of Ben Stokes and Rashid Khan had a dream season and vindicated their huge price tags while guys like Tymal Mills and Trent Boult could not get going at all this year.

10 most expensive players in IPL 2017 and their performances

Teams made sure that they had the right personnel going into the tournament as they bided aggressively at the IPL auctions held in February. There were a