IPL 2025 flop XI: Rs 27 crore Rishabh Pant and Rs 23.75 crore Venkatesh Iyer lead the way

Time of India

06-05-2025

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.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
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
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Middle Order: Ishan Kishan,
(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?
Rahul Tripathi Glenn Maxwell Ishan Kishan Rishabh Pant
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
Lower Order:
, Liam Livingstone, Deepak Hooda,
A mix of overseas stars and experienced Indian players, all failing to contribute meaningfully.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
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:
, Tushar Deshpande,
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.