From hype to heartbreak—these costly players couldn't live up to their IPL 2025 price tags, leaving franchises wondering what went wrong
The IPL 2025 mega auction was full of drama. Teams splurged cash like never before. Stars were bought. Hopes were pinned. But as the season progressed, reality was a bit hard for many franchises. Some of the costliest names, expected to lead from the front, couldn't justify their hefty price tags. They didn't just underperform—they turned into expensive disappointments.
Here's a look at seven players who failed to deliver after making headlines for their price.
₹27 crore. That's what Lucknow Super Giants paid to make Rishabh Pant their new leader. The franchise hoped his comeback would mirror a fairytale. Instead, it turned into a nightmare. Pant looked out of sync with the bat and visibly struggled as captain. His poor decisions were often trending for the wrong reasons.
He did score a memorable century against RCB. But by then, LSG's playoff hopes were already crushed. The crowd at Ekana saw a spark—but only after the fire had gone out. With 269 runs from 14 innings and an average of 24.45, Pant's season didn't match the weight of the deal.
Kolkata Knight Riders took a bold call by spending ₹23.75 crore to hold on to Venkatesh Iyer. The defending champions had just let go of Shreyas Iyer. Iyer was expected to step up. But he disappeared into the shadows.
Batting inconsistently and often down the order, Iyer never settled in. His 142 runs from 11 matches told a story of missed chances. In KKR's final game, they dropped him altogether—a loud statement on how things had turned. From a key asset to an afterthought, Iyer's season fizzled out badly.
For years, Rashid Khan has been IPL's magician with the ball. Gujarat Titans retained him for ₹18 crore, expecting more of the same. But 2025 was different. Rashid looked out of form, out of rhythm, and out of ideas.
In 15 games, he managed only 9 wickets. His average crossed 57 and often looked ineffective in the middle overs. The Titans needed their star spinner to deliver. But this time, Rashid couldn't turn the tide. His worst-ever season came at the worst possible time.
KKR's hero from 2023, Rinku Singh, was retained for ₹13 crore after his consistent rise. But in 2025, the magic seemed to fade. Batting in the middle order, Rinku couldn't finish games or anchor innings like before.
With 206 runs in 13 matches and a highest score of 38, he couldn't make a single match-winning impact. From ₹55 lakh to ₹13 crore in two years, expectations soared—but the performances didn't. For KKR, Rinku's story was a case of too much, too soon.
Sunrisers Hyderabad needed a pace spearhead. So they brought in veteran Mohammad Shami for ₹10 crore. It looked like a smart move. But the results were anything but. Shami took just six wickets in nine games. Worse, his economy rate ballooned over 11.
He struggled to find a rhythm, leaked runs at both ends of the innings, and couldn't provide breakthroughs. As SRH narrowly missed the playoffs, questions were asked about their bowling choices. For Shami, this season may also cost him a spot in the national squad for future tours.
The homecoming was emotional. Ravichandran Ashwin was back in yellow, playing for CSK, who paid ₹9.75 crore to bring their prodigal son back. The Chepauk crowd was thrilled. But the romance ended there. Ashwin couldn't make the ball talk—not even on spin-friendly Chennai tracks.
While Noor Ahmad turned into a revelation, Ashwin looked like a relic of the past. Just 7 wickets in 9 innings at an average above 40—that too from a senior pro—was hard to digest. CSK finished at the bottom, and Ashwin’s future at the franchise now looks uncertain.
Delhi Capitals showed faith in Jake Fraser-McGurk, retaining him for ₹9 crore after a strong 2024. But the Aussie batter never got going. Six matches, just 55 runs, and no innings of note. He looked lost.
Then came a twist. IPL 2025 was temporarily halted due to tensions between India and PAK. Fraser-McGurk left for Australia and never returned. It was an abrupt, sad end to a season that never really started for him. His IPL journey now stands at a crossroads.
