We’re now into the business end of IPL 2025, with the playoff race heating up. While some players have lit up the tournament, a few big names have completely failed to justify their hefty price tags. Here’s a look at the Flop XI of the season so far , a team of underperformers who simply didn’t deliver when it mattered most.
Openers: Rahul Tripathi and Rachin Ravindra (Both from CSK)
It’s quite telling that both openers in this list represent Chennai Super Kings.
Rahul Tripathi (3.4 crore): Played 5 matches, scored only 55 runs at an average of 11.00 and a strike rate of 96.49. His highest score? A mere 23.
Rachin Ravindra: Despite a decent start, Ravindra (8 matches) managed just 191 runs at 27.29, with a solitary fifty (65*). His strike rate of 128.19 was underwhelming for someone expected to set the tone at the top
Middle Order: Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Venkatesh Iyer
This trio of left-handers was expected to dominate but fell flat.
Ishan Kishan (11.25 crore): After a brilliant century in the opening game, he fizzled out completely — 196 runs in 11 innings at 24.50, strike rate 144.12.
Rishabh Pant (27 crore – most expensive player in IPL history): The pressure of the price tag showed. With just 128 runs in 11 matches at a shocking average of 12.80 and a strike rate below 100 (99.22), Pant’s comeback was a massive letdown.
Poll
Which player has been the biggest disappointment in IPL 2025 so far?
Venkatesh Iyer (23.75 crore): Despite a solitary fifty, he failed to make any consistent impact. 142 runs in 11 matches at 20.29 and strike rate of 139.22 didn’t justify the investment.
Quiz: Who’s that IPL player?
Lower Order: Glenn Maxwell, Liam Livingstone, Deepak Hooda,
A mix of overseas stars and experienced Indian players, all failing to contribute meaningfully.
Glenn Maxwell (4.2 crore): Arguably the worst season of his IPL career. Just 48 runs in 7 innings at an average of 8.00 and a strike rate of 97.96. He also picked up 4 wickets at an economy of 8.46.
Liam Livingstone (8.75 crore): A shadow of his usual explosive self. Only 87 runs in 7 matches at 17.40 (SR 127.94) and just 2 wickets to show for his all-round abilities.
Deepak Hooda (1.7 crore): A complete non-factor this season — 31 runs in 6 matches at an average of 6.20 and a strike rate of 75.6
Bowlers: Ravichandran Ashwin, Tushar Deshpande, Mohammad Shami
R. Ashwin (9.75 crore): The much-hyped homecoming didn’t go as planned. Just 5 wickets in 10 games at an average of 44.60 and a poor economy of 9.29.
Tushar Deshpande (6.5 crore): Struggled with consistency and control — 6 wickets at an average of 45.00 and a staggering economy of 11.25.
Mohammad Shami (10 crore): A surprising underperformer. Just 6 wickets in the tournament with an average of 56.17 and an economy rate of 11.23.
