IPL 10: Top 6 flops of the league stages

3. Ishant Sharma – Kings XI Punjab

Indian pacer Ishant Sharma was unsold in the IPL 10 Auctions as no franchisee found his price tag of Rs.2 crores justifiable. It was in 2007-08 when India was playing a series against Australia. Amazed by his pace, Steve Waugh termed him as the next best thing in Indian cricket. But Sharma never was able to do justice to Waugh’s praise. After he was unsold, KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir said no one will pay Ishant two crores for bowling four overs.

But he came in this year’s IPL as an injury replacement of Kings XI Punjab. The Kings’ director of cricket affairs and former partner-in-crime of Gambhir replied by asking him whether price tag of Rs.12.5 crores(as mentioned in IPL retention clause, as originally he gets Rs.10.5 crores) for just batting was justified or not. But Ishant failed to perform according to the hopes of Sehwag.

In six matches, he conceded 179 runs, with a ‘healthy’ economy of around 10 runs per over. In addition to it, so as to add more shame to his numbers, he failed to pick up a single wicket. Playing just six games, conceding 10 runs per over and not picking up a single wicket. That’s Rs.2 crores down the drain, isn’t it Viru?