Here's a look at how some of the costliest
players have performed in the tournament so far.
Irfan Pathan
After an underwhelming 2012 IPL season in which he managed just eight wickets (average 58.12, economy 7.75) and 176 runs from 17 matches, Irfan has made a lukewarm start to IPL 6. Like in 2012, the situation is much the same: Irfan's swing has been missing and his bowling at the death has been particularly flat. In the season opener against KKR, Irfan started off with a maiden over to Manvinder Bisla but his second produced 15 runs as Gautam Gambhir hit him for a four and six before Jacques Kallis ended the over with a lofted drive to the boundary. Irfan did not bowl again in the match.
A look at how some of the costliest players have performed in the first ten days of season six of the Indian Premier League.
In the loss to Rajasthan Royals, Irfan went wicketless in his four overs while conceding 31 runs. He gave up four runs in the first over, five in the seventh, 12 in the 11th and 10 in the 18th. When Delhi lost their third match in a row, to Mumbai Indians, Irfan started with a wicket-maiden opening over and bowled a top first spell of 2-14-1, but when he came back he bled 33 in two overs. The 14th over cost 11 with Dinesh Karthik hitting two fours through midwicket; in the 19th, Ambati Rayudu smacked 4, 6, 4, 6 in successive deliveries.
In the low-scoring loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad, Irfan bowled two tidy over for seven runs. When he came back to bowl the 18th he collected the big wicket of Thisara Perera and gave up just six runs. That prompted his captain to give Irfan the final over, with six to defend. But Dale Steyn hit six in two balls to hand Delhi their fourth consecutive loss. Again, bowling length proved fatal.
Jacques Kallis - three matches, 39 runs, average 13
The veteran South Africa has been an infrequent player in the Twenty20 format, playing just six matches - all for Royal Challengers Bangalore - in the last six months. In that time, his scores read: 16, 23, 0, 18, 0 and 0 (three in IPL 6 and three in last year's CLT20). In KKR's season opener, Kallis made 23 off 20 balls before pulling a half-tracker straight to midwicket; in the second match he was out for golden duck when wafting outside off stump; and in the next match Kallis charged Vinay Kumar and picked out the fielder at deep cover for 16. He has also gone wicketless in three matches, while conceding runs at 7.36 an over.
Ricky Ponting - 5 matches, 52 runs, average 10.05
Opening the batting, Ponting and Tendulkar have just managed two half-century stands together out of five games. As a matter of fact, on three occasions Mumbai lost its first wicket in the opening over. And chasing a formidable 179 for three, the openers failed yet again as Mumbai suffered a humiliating 87-run loss at the hands of Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium last night.
So far in IPL 6 Ponting has impressed with his captaincy and one awesome one-handed catch at extra cover, but as a batsman he has been a flop. Paired with Tendulkar in an opening stand that brings together two batsmen with a jaw-dropping 61,756 international runs between them , Ponting has also fallen flat. He has so far made 28 off 33 balls (stumped); 6 off 10 (caught at slip); and 0 off 6 (caught at mid-off). Those are poor returns from an international superstar purchased for $400,000 by a franchise looking for a winning formula.
Kumar Sangakkara - four matches, 82 runs, average 20.50
Having been given a stamp of faith from the owners of the Hyderabad-based franchise, the former Sri Lanka captain has come a cropper so far in IPL 6. Though Sunrisers Hyderabad won their first two matches their batting has been exposed as rather thin - especially with Shikhar Dhawan injured - and Sangakkara's failures have not helped. Against Pune Warriors he made 15 off 16 balls before charging and missing a legbreak; in the match with RCB Sangakkara got 16 off 17 balls and again dashed out of his crease only to perish; and in the loss to RCB in the return match he got a leading edge after making 23 off 24 balls. In the win over Delhi, Sangakkara made a run-a-ball 28.
A season strike-rate of 96.47 is just too low for the team's leader and most experienced batsman. Sangakkara has scored just nine boundaries in 85 balls faced.
Ross Taylor - three matches, 51 runs, average 17
The New Zealand batsman was swapped from Delhi to Pune during the off-season in a move directed at boosting a stagnating batting line-up but the results have been very average. Taylor has failed to cross 20 in any innings so far in IPL 6 and his strike-rate 87.93 is a major downer. He made a run-a-ball 19 in the loss to Hyderabad, 15 off 19 against Kings XI Punjab and 17 off 20 balls against Rajasthan Royals. At his fourth franchise in five IPL seasons, Taylor has not been of any help with the bat to a franchise that was a massive flop in their first two seasons.
Irfan Pathan
After an underwhelming 2012 IPL season in which he managed just eight wickets (average 58.12, economy 7.75) and 176 runs from 17 matches, Irfan has made a lukewarm start to IPL 6. Like in 2012, the situation is much the same: Irfan's swing has been missing and his bowling at the death has been particularly flat. In the season opener against KKR, Irfan started off with a maiden over to Manvinder Bisla but his second produced 15 runs as Gautam Gambhir hit him for a four and six before Jacques Kallis ended the over with a lofted drive to the boundary. Irfan did not bowl again in the match.
In the loss to Rajasthan Royals, Irfan went wicketless in his four overs while conceding 31 runs. He gave up four runs in the first over, five in the seventh, 12 in the 11th and 10 in the 18th. When Delhi lost their third match in a row, to Mumbai Indians, Irfan started with a wicket-maiden opening over and bowled a top first spell of 2-14-1, but when he came back he bled 33 in two overs. The 14th over cost 11 with Dinesh Karthik hitting two fours through midwicket; in the 19th, Ambati Rayudu smacked 4, 6, 4, 6 in successive deliveries.
In the low-scoring loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad, Irfan bowled two tidy over for seven runs. When he came back to bowl the 18th he collected the big wicket of Thisara Perera and gave up just six runs. That prompted his captain to give Irfan the final over, with six to defend. But Dale Steyn hit six in two balls to hand Delhi their fourth consecutive loss. Again, bowling length proved fatal.
Jacques Kallis - three matches, 39 runs, average 13
The veteran South Africa has been an infrequent player in the Twenty20 format, playing just six matches - all for Royal Challengers Bangalore - in the last six months. In that time, his scores read: 16, 23, 0, 18, 0 and 0 (three in IPL 6 and three in last year's CLT20). In KKR's season opener, Kallis made 23 off 20 balls before pulling a half-tracker straight to midwicket; in the second match he was out for golden duck when wafting outside off stump; and in the next match Kallis charged Vinay Kumar and picked out the fielder at deep cover for 16. He has also gone wicketless in three matches, while conceding runs at 7.36 an over.
Ricky Ponting - 5 matches, 52 runs, average 10.05
Opening the batting, Ponting and Tendulkar have just managed two half-century stands together out of five games. As a matter of fact, on three occasions Mumbai lost its first wicket in the opening over. And chasing a formidable 179 for three, the openers failed yet again as Mumbai suffered a humiliating 87-run loss at the hands of Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium last night.
So far in IPL 6 Ponting has impressed with his captaincy and one awesome one-handed catch at extra cover, but as a batsman he has been a flop. Paired with Tendulkar in an opening stand that brings together two batsmen with a jaw-dropping 61,756 international runs between them , Ponting has also fallen flat. He has so far made 28 off 33 balls (stumped); 6 off 10 (caught at slip); and 0 off 6 (caught at mid-off). Those are poor returns from an international superstar purchased for $400,000 by a franchise looking for a winning formula.
Kumar Sangakkara - four matches, 82 runs, average 20.50
Having been given a stamp of faith from the owners of the Hyderabad-based franchise, the former Sri Lanka captain has come a cropper so far in IPL 6. Though Sunrisers Hyderabad won their first two matches their batting has been exposed as rather thin - especially with Shikhar Dhawan injured - and Sangakkara's failures have not helped. Against Pune Warriors he made 15 off 16 balls before charging and missing a legbreak; in the match with RCB Sangakkara got 16 off 17 balls and again dashed out of his crease only to perish; and in the loss to RCB in the return match he got a leading edge after making 23 off 24 balls. In the win over Delhi, Sangakkara made a run-a-ball 28.
A season strike-rate of 96.47 is just too low for the team's leader and most experienced batsman. Sangakkara has scored just nine boundaries in 85 balls faced.
Ross Taylor - three matches, 51 runs, average 17
The New Zealand batsman was swapped from Delhi to Pune during the off-season in a move directed at boosting a stagnating batting line-up but the results have been very average. Taylor has failed to cross 20 in any innings so far in IPL 6 and his strike-rate 87.93 is a major downer. He made a run-a-ball 19 in the loss to Hyderabad, 15 off 19 against Kings XI Punjab and 17 off 20 balls against Rajasthan Royals. At his fourth franchise in five IPL seasons, Taylor has not been of any help with the bat to a franchise that was a massive flop in their first two seasons.
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