Rajasthan Royals, the winner of the inaugural IPL, have not been able to repeat the success achieved under Shane Warne. Throughout the auction history, they have spent heavily on some players to bring more balance to the squad, but all such efforts have been futile. This article looks at the top most expensive purchases by Rajasthan Royals in the IPL auction history and how they fared in the subsequent season.
#3 Jaydev Unadkat
Left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat has drawn high bids in the auction, especially for the 2018 edition. In 2017, the Saurashtra-based player starred for the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant, scalping 24 wickets in 12 matches. His success with the ball meant he was on the radar of all the teams, especially CSK and RR, who were making a return after a 2-year ban.
Rajasthan Royals acquired his services after a neck-to-neck bidding war for a whopping Rs.11.5 crore. However, Unadkat failed to live up to the price tag big time. Although he managed to pick 11 wickets in 15 games, he conceded runs at an economy rate of 9.65. After a disastrous season, RR released him only to purchase him back for a reduced but still lofty amount of Rs.8.4 crore.
#2 Ben Stokes
English all-rounder Ben Stokes sealed a deal of Rs.12.5 crore per year with RR in 2018. He was also one of the players who featured in the IPL 2017 final with Rising Pune Supergiant. After featuring in 13 matches in 2018, Stokes has been in and out of the IPL due to injuries. In the 2018 edition, Stokes fared poorly with the bat, scoring a meagre 196 runs. He scalped eight wickets with the ball, not living up to the price tag.
Also read: Most expensive deals by RCB in IPL auction (Top 5)
#1 on this list of the most expensive purchases by Rajasthan: Chris Morris
The Proteas all-rounder has been a highly sought-after player in the IPL auctions. Unfortunately, he has been unable to back his price tag with exceptional performances with the bat or ball. In 2021, RR shelled out Rs.16.25 crore for him, but Morris failed miserably, especially with the bat. He could only score 67 runs in 11 matches, at an abysmal average of 13.40. He made up a bit with his bowling, claiming 15 wickets, but could not justify the high billing.
Also read: Most runs in IPL history (Top 7 batters)
