Every year, the Indian Premier League (IPL) presents us with a dish of exciting cricketing action topped with a dash of glitz, glamour and exuberance. However, the bugle for the competitive league every season is sounded way before the players take the field, clad in their respective team colours. It&#8217;s the Player Auctions that marks the kick-off of the IPL each year, as players from various nations, some well-known while some dust-covered jewels waiting to be unearthed, are drafted into the different franchises.

Each year, the auctions turn out to be exciting affairs, attracting the attention of the entire globe towards their proceedings. Big bucks are brought out onto the table as franchise owners raise the baton jubilantly like a victory flag and the gavel is brought down by the auctioneer, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-auctioneer-richard-madley-back-town-watch-cricket/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Richard Madley</a> with a sharp sound, sealing a player&#8217;s fate. With millions of rupees changing hands during the construction of an IPL team, it&#8217;s very evident that all the players are expected to perform to the best of their ability to take their team to the victor&#8217;s pedestal.

This time around, in IPL 2018, a staggering amount of INR 431.4 crores was invested in the purchase of players by the eight participating franchises. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were the highest spenders with a figure INR 80 crores to their name. While Ben Stokes emerged as the costliest player of the season when he was sold to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) for INT 12.5 crores, Jaydev Unadkat became the most expensive player at Rs 11.5 crore for the same franchise. But who are the players who were able to justify the hefty amounts spent in acquiring them? Let&#8217;s take a look at the 5 IPL 2018 players who&#8217;ve justified their price tag.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-238173" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/KL-Rahul-1.jpg" alt="KL Rahul" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-238173" class="wp-caption-text">KL Rahul. (Photo Source: IANS)</figcaption>

When Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) chose not to retain Lokesh Rahul in the 2018 season of the IPL, they couldn&#8217;t have possibly had an inkling of the havoc the 26-year-old was about the wreak on the bowling attacks of the different franchises. Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) shelled out a whopping sum of INR 11 crores to get hold of Rahul and he&#8217;s not disappointed his team. Rahul seems to be in the form of his life as he&#8217;s hitting the ball well and scoring the big runs for his side, guiding them to one victory at a time.

Currently, Rahul has hit 268 runs in just 7 matches at an admirable strike rate of 170.70 and has also affected 3 dismissals as keeper of the KXIP. His ability to mix aggression with sound technique has seen him hit some beautiful knocks in the season so far. The &#8216;Most Runs&#8217; table has him on the fifth spot for his run tally. His quickfire innings of 60 runs off just 27 deliveries against the KKR was an absolute show-stealer and provided ample proof as to how the talented batsman-wicketkeeper has justified the big bucks invested in him.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-240506" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sanju-Samson.jpg" alt="Sanju Samson" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-240506" class="wp-caption-text">Sanju Samson plays a shot. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Young Sanju Samson has been one of Rajasthan Royals most consistent batsmen since 2013 when he was first signed on by the franchise. Come 2018, the 23-year-old has been in sublime touch and done his side proud by performing well with the bat. The youngster boasts of a prolific career in the league, with 1705 runs to his credit in the span of just 73 games since 2012. Veteran batsman and former Indian skipper, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/rahul-dravid-anil-kumble-dismiss-bjps-offer-standing-elections/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rahul Dravid</a> has time and again lauded Samson for his gutsy batting abilities.

In the ongoing season, Samson has scored 239 runs in 6 matches at a strike rate of 150.31. More importantly, the stylish batsman has played some crucial knocks to see his team home. His scintillating knock of 92* against RCB and his feisty innings worth 52 runs off 39 balls against the Mumbai Indians were both equally potent in establishing his worth to the Rajasthan Royals side. Samson&#8217;s consistent knocks in pressure situations have proven him worthy of the high price that the Ajinkya Rahane-led side had paid for him at the auctions.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-242471" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Shane-Watson-1.jpg" alt="Shane Watson" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-242471" class="wp-caption-text">Shane Watson. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

The RCB management would be surely cursing their luck after witnessing Shane Watson&#8217;s batting carnage in IPL 2018. Another non-retained player of the RCB, Watson was picked up by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for INR 4 crores, at four times his base price. Many doubted this decision considering Watson happens to be on the wrong side of 30 years age line. But Watson wielded his bat like a magic wand to silence all the sceptics and emerge as one of the highest run-getters in the league thus far.

In the 7 matches that he&#8217;s played so far, Watson has accrues 203 runs at a healthy average of 157.36. He&#8217;s currently sitting at the top of the highest run-getters list in this season of the IPL, owing to his sensational knock against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) worth 106 runs off 57 deliveries, consisting of 9 boundaries and 6 maximums. He&#8217;s also proved to be a value-for-money player with 6 wickets and best figures of 2/29 to show for his bowling efforts.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-243099" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Andrew-Tye-1.jpg" alt="Andrew Tye" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-243099" class="wp-caption-text">Andrew Tye visibly unhappy after being penalized with a no-ball. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Australian pacer Andrew Tye raked up a hefty price of INR 7.2 crores after a tumultuous bidding war involving the KKR, CSK and KXIP franchises. In the end, it was Preity Zinta-owned KXIP that was able to draft Tye into the side and from thereon, the 31-year-old has not looked back. Having missed the previous season owing to a shoulder injury, Tye seems to be very intent on doing his side proud this time around.

The speedster has turned out to be one of the most valuable bowlers of the season as of yet. Tye has 9 wickets to his name in the 7 games that KXIP has played and is armed with the ability to topple crucial partnerships of the opposition when his side needs it the most. His performance against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), where he scalped 2 wickets for 23 runs in his quota of 4 overs, consolidated his position as a key player in the Punjab set-up. Further, Tye possesses the handy ability to knock a few balls out of the park with the bat in his hand down the order, sporting a healthy strike rate of 134.61.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-244904" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rashid-Khan-wicket.jpg" alt="Rashid Khan" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-244904" class="wp-caption-text">Rashid Khan celebrates a wicket. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

The youngest captain Afghanistan has ever had, the recent numero uno T20 bowler to be declared by the International Cricket Council (ICC), <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/rashid-khan-becomes-the-belle-of-the-ball-on-twitter-following-zainab-abbas-praise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rashid Khan</a> has a lot of feathers in his cap at the moment. The latest addition to the list of those laurels is the No.4 spot he currently holds in the IPL Most Wickets rankings. The young bowler has been absolutely sensational, in the truest sense of the term. He&#8217;s outfoxed batsmen irrespective of the teams that they belong to and how!

Khan has been able to weave the magical spin web around the opposition batsmen which they&#8217;ve found impossible to untangle them from. Owing to his brilliant tally of 10 wickets in 8 matches at an average of 23.20, SRH has been able to defend a string of totals as low as 119 and 132 runs. The 19-year-old has turned out to be one of the surprise packages of the IPL 2018 and the price tag of INR 9 crores is definitely justified for him, given his blazing form.

Every year, the Indian Premier League (IPL) presents us with a dish of exciting cricketing action topped with a dash of glitz, glamour and exuberance. However, the bugle for the competitive league every season is sounded way before the players take the field, clad in their respective team colours. It’s the Player Auctions that marks the kick-off of the IPL each year, as players from various nations, some well-known while some dust-covered jewels waiting to be unearthed, are drafted into the different franchises.
Each year, the auctions turn out to be exciting affairs, attracting the attention of the entire globe towards their proceedings. Big bucks are brought out onto the table as franchise owners raise the baton jubilantly like a victory flag and the gavel is brought down by the auctioneer, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-auctioneer-richard-madley-back-town-watch-cricket/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Richard Madley</a> with a sharp sound, sealing a player’s fate. With millions of rupees changing hands during the construction of an IPL team, it’s very evident that all the players are expected to perform to the best of their ability to take their team to the victor’s pedestal.
This time around, in IPL 2018, a staggering amount of INR 431.4 crores was invested in the purchase of players by the eight participating franchises. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were the highest spenders with a figure INR 80 crores to their name. While Ben Stokes emerged as the costliest player of the season when he was sold to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) for INT 12.5 crores,&nbsp;Jaydev Unadkat became the most expensive player at Rs 11.5 crore for the same franchise. But who are the players who were able to justify the hefty amounts spent in acquiring them? Let’s take a look at the 5 IPL 2018 players who’ve justified their price tag.
<h3>1. KL Rahul</h3>
<figure id="attachment_238173" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-238173" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-238173" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/KL-Rahul-1.jpg" alt="KL Rahul" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-238173" class="wp-caption-text">KL Rahul. (Photo Source: IANS)</figcaption></figure>
When Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) chose not to retain Lokesh Rahul in the 2018 season of the IPL, they couldn’t have possibly had an inkling of the havoc the 26-year-old was about the wreak on the bowling attacks of the different franchises. Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) shelled out a whopping sum of INR 11 crores to get hold of Rahul and he’s not disappointed his team. Rahul seems to be in the form of his life as he’s hitting the ball well and scoring the big runs for his side, guiding them to one victory at a time.
Currently, Rahul has hit 268 runs in just 7 matches at an admirable strike rate of 170.70 and has also affected 3 dismissals as keeper of the KXIP. His ability to mix aggression with sound technique has seen him hit some beautiful knocks in the season so far. The ‘Most Runs’ table has him on the fifth spot for his run tally. His quickfire innings of 60 runs off just 27 deliveries against the KKR&nbsp;was an absolute show-stealer and provided ample proof as to how the talented batsman-wicketkeeper has justified the big bucks invested in him. 

<h3>2. Sanju Samson</h3>
<figure id="attachment_240506" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-240506" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-240506" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sanju-Samson.jpg" alt="Sanju Samson" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-240506" class="wp-caption-text">Sanju Samson plays a shot. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Young Sanju Samson has been one of Rajasthan Royals most consistent batsmen since 2013 when he was first signed on by the franchise. Come 2018, the 23-year-old has been in sublime touch and done his side proud by performing well with the bat. The youngster boasts of a prolific career in the league, with 1705 runs to his credit in the span of just 73 games since 2012. Veteran batsman and former Indian skipper, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/rahul-dravid-anil-kumble-dismiss-bjps-offer-standing-elections/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rahul Dravid</a> has time and again lauded Samson for his gutsy batting abilities.
In the ongoing season, Samson has scored 239 runs in 6 matches at a strike rate of 150.31. More importantly, the stylish batsman has played some crucial knocks to see his team home. His scintillating knock of 92* against RCB and his feisty innings worth 52 runs off 39 balls against the Mumbai Indians were both equally potent in establishing his worth to the Rajasthan Royals side. Samson’s consistent knocks in pressure situations have proven him worthy of the high price that the Ajinkya Rahane-led side had paid for him at the auctions.

<h3>3. Shane Watson</h3>
<figure id="attachment_242471" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-242471" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-242471" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Shane-Watson-1.jpg" alt="Shane Watson" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-242471" class="wp-caption-text">Shane Watson. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
The RCB management would be surely cursing their luck after witnessing Shane Watson’s batting carnage in IPL 2018. Another non-retained player of the RCB, Watson was picked up by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for INR 4 crores, at four times his base price. Many doubted this decision considering Watson happens to be on the wrong side of 30 years age line. But Watson wielded his bat like a magic wand to silence all the sceptics and emerge as one of the highest run-getters in the league thus far.
In the 7 matches that he’s played so far, Watson has accrues 203 runs at a healthy average of 157.36. He’s currently sitting at the top of the highest run-getters list in this season of the IPL, owing to his sensational knock against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) worth 106 runs off 57 deliveries, consisting of 9 boundaries and 6 maximums. He’s also proved to be a value-for-money player with 6 wickets and best figures of 2/29 to show for his bowling efforts.

<h3>4. Andrew Tye</h3>
<figure id="attachment_243099" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-243099" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-243099" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Andrew-Tye-1.jpg" alt="Andrew Tye" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-243099" class="wp-caption-text">Andrew Tye visibly unhappy after being penalized with a no-ball. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Australian pacer Andrew Tye raked up a hefty price of INR 7.2 crores after a tumultuous bidding war involving the KKR, CSK and KXIP franchises. In the end, it was Preity Zinta-owned KXIP that was able to draft Tye into the side and from thereon, the 31-year-old has not looked back. Having missed the previous season owing to a shoulder injury, Tye seems to be very intent on doing his side proud this time around.
The speedster has turned out to be one of the most valuable bowlers of the season as of yet. Tye has 9 wickets to his name in the 7 games that KXIP has played and is armed with the ability to topple crucial partnerships of the opposition when his side needs it the most. His performance against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), where he scalped 2 wickets for 23 runs in his quota of 4 overs, consolidated his position as a key player in the Punjab set-up. Further, Tye possesses the handy ability to knock a few balls out of the park with the bat in his hand down the order, sporting a healthy strike rate of 134.61.

<h3>5. Rashid Khan</h3>
<figure id="attachment_244904" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-244904" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-244904" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rashid-Khan-wicket.jpg" alt="Rashid Khan" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-244904" class="wp-caption-text">Rashid Khan celebrates a wicket. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
The youngest captain Afghanistan has ever had, the recent numero uno T20 bowler to be declared by the International Cricket Council (ICC), <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/rashid-khan-becomes-the-belle-of-the-ball-on-twitter-following-zainab-abbas-praise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rashid Khan</a> has a lot of feathers in his cap at the moment. The latest addition to the list of those laurels is the No.4 spot he currently holds in the IPL Most Wickets rankings. The young bowler has been absolutely sensational, in the truest sense of the term. He’s outfoxed batsmen irrespective of the teams that they belong to and how!
Khan has been able to weave the magical spin web around the opposition batsmen which they’ve found impossible to untangle them from. Owing to his brilliant tally of 10 wickets in 8 matches at an average of 23.20, SRH has been able to defend a string of totals as low as 119 and 132 runs. The 19-year-old has turned out to be one of the surprise packages of the IPL 2018 and the price tag of INR 9 crores is definitely justified for him, given his blazing form.

Every year, the Indian Premier League (IPL) presents us with a dish of exciting cricketing action topped with a dash of glitz, glamour and exuberance. However, the bugle for the competitive league every season is sounded way before the players take the field, clad in their respective team colours. It&#8217;s the Player Auctions that marks the kick-off of the IPL each year, as players from various nations, some well-known while some dust-covered jewels waiting to be unearthed, are drafted into the different franchises.
Each year, the auctions turn out to be exciting affairs, attracting the attention of the entire globe towards their proceedings. Big bucks are brought out onto the table as franchise owners raise the baton jubilantly like a victory flag and the gavel is brought down by the auctioneer, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-auctioneer-richard-madley-back-town-watch-cricket/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Richard Madley</a> with a sharp sound, sealing a player&#8217;s fate. With millions of rupees changing hands during the construction of an IPL team, it&#8217;s very evident that all the players are expected to perform to the best of their ability to take their team to the victor&#8217;s pedestal.
This time around, in IPL 2018, a staggering amount of INR 431.4 crores was invested in the purchase of players by the eight participating franchises. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were the highest spenders with a figure INR 80 crores to their name. While Ben Stokes emerged as the costliest player of the season when he was sold to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) for INT 12.5 crores, Jaydev Unadkat became the most expensive player at Rs 11.5 crore for the same franchise. But who are the players who were able to justify the hefty amounts spent in acquiring them? Let&#8217;s take a look at the 5 IPL 2018 players who&#8217;ve justified their price tag.
<h3>1. KL Rahul</h3>
<figure id="attachment_238173" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-238173" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-238173" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/KL-Rahul-1.jpg" alt="KL Rahul" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-238173" class="wp-caption-text">KL Rahul. (Photo Source: IANS)</figcaption></figure>
When Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) chose not to retain Lokesh Rahul in the 2018 season of the IPL, they couldn&#8217;t have possibly had an inkling of the havoc the 26-year-old was about the wreak on the bowling attacks of the different franchises. Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) shelled out a whopping sum of INR 11 crores to get hold of Rahul and he&#8217;s not disappointed his team. Rahul seems to be in the form of his life as he&#8217;s hitting the ball well and scoring the big runs for his side, guiding them to one victory at a time.
Currently, Rahul has hit 268 runs in just 7 matches at an admirable strike rate of 170.70 and has also affected 3 dismissals as keeper of the KXIP. His ability to mix aggression with sound technique has seen him hit some beautiful knocks in the season so far. The &#8216;Most Runs&#8217; table has him on the fifth spot for his run tally. His quickfire innings of 60 runs off just 27 deliveries against the KKR was an absolute show-stealer and provided ample proof as to how the talented batsman-wicketkeeper has justified the big bucks invested in him. 

<h3>2. Sanju Samson</h3>
<figure id="attachment_240506" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-240506" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-240506" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sanju-Samson.jpg" alt="Sanju Samson" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-240506" class="wp-caption-text">Sanju Samson plays a shot. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Young Sanju Samson has been one of Rajasthan Royals most consistent batsmen since 2013 when he was first signed on by the franchise. Come 2018, the 23-year-old has been in sublime touch and done his side proud by performing well with the bat. The youngster boasts of a prolific career in the league, with 1705 runs to his credit in the span of just 73 games since 2012. Veteran batsman and former Indian skipper, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/rahul-dravid-anil-kumble-dismiss-bjps-offer-standing-elections/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rahul Dravid</a> has time and again lauded Samson for his gutsy batting abilities.
In the ongoing season, Samson has scored 239 runs in 6 matches at a strike rate of 150.31. More importantly, the stylish batsman has played some crucial knocks to see his team home. His scintillating knock of 92* against RCB and his feisty innings worth 52 runs off 39 balls against the Mumbai Indians were both equally potent in establishing his worth to the Rajasthan Royals side. Samson&#8217;s consistent knocks in pressure situations have proven him worthy of the high price that the Ajinkya Rahane-led side had paid for him at the auctions.

<h3>3. Shane Watson</h3>
<figure id="attachment_242471" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-242471" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-242471" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Shane-Watson-1.jpg" alt="Shane Watson" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-242471" class="wp-caption-text">Shane Watson. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
The RCB management would be surely cursing their luck after witnessing Shane Watson&#8217;s batting carnage in IPL 2018. Another non-retained player of the RCB, Watson was picked up by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for INR 4 crores, at four times his base price. Many doubted this decision considering Watson happens to be on the wrong side of 30 years age line. But Watson wielded his bat like a magic wand to silence all the sceptics and emerge as one of the highest run-getters in the league thus far.
In the 7 matches that he&#8217;s played so far, Watson has accrues 203 runs at a healthy average of 157.36. He&#8217;s currently sitting at the top of the highest run-getters list in this season of the IPL, owing to his sensational knock against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) worth 106 runs off 57 deliveries, consisting of 9 boundaries and 6 maximums. He&#8217;s also proved to be a value-for-money player with 6 wickets and best figures of 2/29 to show for his bowling efforts.

<h3>4. Andrew Tye</h3>
<figure id="attachment_243099" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-243099" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-243099" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Andrew-Tye-1.jpg" alt="Andrew Tye" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-243099" class="wp-caption-text">Andrew Tye visibly unhappy after being penalized with a no-ball. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Australian pacer Andrew Tye raked up a hefty price of INR 7.2 crores after a tumultuous bidding war involving the KKR, CSK and KXIP franchises. In the end, it was Preity Zinta-owned KXIP that was able to draft Tye into the side and from thereon, the 31-year-old has not looked back. Having missed the previous season owing to a shoulder injury, Tye seems to be very intent on doing his side proud this time around.
The speedster has turned out to be one of the most valuable bowlers of the season as of yet. Tye has 9 wickets to his name in the 7 games that KXIP has played and is armed with the ability to topple crucial partnerships of the opposition when his side needs it the most. His performance against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), where he scalped 2 wickets for 23 runs in his quota of 4 overs, consolidated his position as a key player in the Punjab set-up. Further, Tye possesses the handy ability to knock a few balls out of the park with the bat in his hand down the order, sporting a healthy strike rate of 134.61.

<h3>5. Rashid Khan</h3>
<figure id="attachment_244904" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-244904" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-244904" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rashid-Khan-wicket.jpg" alt="Rashid Khan" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-244904" class="wp-caption-text">Rashid Khan celebrates a wicket. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
The youngest captain Afghanistan has ever had, the recent numero uno T20 bowler to be declared by the International Cricket Council (ICC), <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/rashid-khan-becomes-the-belle-of-the-ball-on-twitter-following-zainab-abbas-praise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rashid Khan</a> has a lot of feathers in his cap at the moment. The latest addition to the list of those laurels is the No.4 spot he currently holds in the IPL Most Wickets rankings. The young bowler has been absolutely sensational, in the truest sense of the term. He&#8217;s outfoxed batsmen irrespective of the teams that they belong to and how!
Khan has been able to weave the magical spin web around the opposition batsmen which they&#8217;ve found impossible to untangle them from. Owing to his brilliant tally of 10 wickets in 8 matches at an average of 23.20, SRH has been able to defend a string of totals as low as 119 and 132 runs. The 19-year-old has turned out to be one of the surprise packages of the IPL 2018 and the price tag of INR 9 crores is definitely justified for him, given his blazing form.

This time around, in IPL 2018, a staggering amount of INR 431.4 crores was invested in the purchase of players by the eight participating franchises.

IPL 2018: Five players who have been worth the big bucks

Every year, the Indian Premier League (IPL) presents us with a dish of exciting cricketing action topped with a dash of glitz, glamour and