IPL 2021: Team Wise One Most Valuable Player Who Isn't The Highest Paid In The Team

The 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) may have got called off due to multiple Covid positive cases across four different franchise but in whatever games that were played, one fact was once again established that it’s not always the highest-earning player of a franchise is also its most valuable player.

The past few seasons have established this fact to the hilt and the recent season once again testified it.

On that note, here’s a look at the most valuable player of every franchisee who isn’t their highest-paid cricketer in IPL 2021:

Delhi Capitals – Shikhar Dhawan (Rs 5.2 Crore); Highest earning player – Rishabh Pant (Rs 15 Crore)

Ever since he jumped ship from SunRisers Hyderabad to the Delhi Capitals, Shikhar Dhawan has been a different beast in the IPL.

Dhawan was a perennial underachiever in T20 cricket up until 2019 but in the last couple of seasons, the veteran southpaw has transformed himself beyond recognition.

Earlier, Dhawan was often found guilty of slowing down after the powerplay and not showing enough intent to push the scoring rate.  But, that is clearly not the case now.

The southpaw not only anchors the innings but also ensures that he maintains the tempo throughout his knock and consistently scores big runs.

While in the 2020 season, Dhawan smashed as many as 618 runs in 17 innings at an average of 44.4 and a blistering strike rate of 144.73 with four 50s and two 100s, this year too, he was in cracking form.

In 8 innings, Dhawan had already racked up 380 runs at 54.28 and a strike rate of 134.27 with three 50+ scores before the IPL got called off.

It is fair to say that Shikhar Dhawan is the most valuable player for the Delhi Capitals currently.

Chennai Super Kings – Ravindra Jadeja (Rs 7 Crore); Highest earning player – MS Dhoni (Rs 15 Crore)

Just like Shikhar Dhawan, Ravindra Jadeja has improved his T20 batting by leaps and bounds in the past couple of seasons.

Jadeja has consistently chipped in with whirlwind cameos at the death. Even in the last season, where CSK struggled, Jadeja was the lone shining light as his swashbuckling knocks at the back end helped the MS Dhoni-led unit post a defendable total.

In 11 innings in IPL 2020, Jadeja smashed 232 runs at an average of 46.40 and at a blistering strike rate of 171.85.

He carried his form this season as well, as he smoked 131 runs in 6 innings at a strike rate of 161.72, which also included a maniac 28-ball 62* against RCB in which he scored 37 runs in one over of Harshal Patel.

Add his outrageous fielding and his more than handy bowling, Jadeja is undoubtedly the MVP of CSK currently.

Royal Challengers Bangalore – AB de Villiers (Rs 11 Crore); Highest earning player – Virat Kohli (Rs 17 Crore)

Abraham Benjamin De Villiers may have retired from international cricket three years ago but he still continues to enthrall his millions of fans in the IPL every single season.

De Villiers is a once-in-a-century freak, and he proves that year after year in the IPL. And, it is fair to say that, despite the presence of Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers has been RCB’s biggest match-winner for the franchise, especially in recent seasons.

In the matches that RCB have won, De Villiers has scored 2493 runs in 57 innings at an average of 92.3 and a strike rate of 179.9 with 24 50s and a couple of tons.

De Villiers has carried the RCB batting unit in the past three seasons with aplomb. The former Proteas skipper smashed in excess of 400 runs in 2018, 2019, and 2020 and they came at a 40+ average and 150+ strike rate.

ABD was in smashing form this season as well. He played a pivotal role in RCB winning against MI, SRH,

and KKR with his outrageous knocks. Overall, De Villiers scored 207 runs in 6 innings at an average of 51.75 and a strike rate of 164.28 before the tournament got suspended.

Punjab Kings – KL Rahul (Rs 11 Crore); Highest earning player – Jhye Richardson (Rs 14 Crore)

You can criticize him for his lack of intent in the past two seasons but it is fair to say that KL Rahul has been the bedrock of the Punjab Kings batting unit courtesy of his sheer consistency.

Since the start of the 2018 IPL season, KL Rahul has been a juggernaut in the cash-rich league.

In his debut season (2018) for Punjab Kings, Rahul smashed 659 runs in 14 innings at an average of 54.91 and at a strike rate of 158.41.

He backed it up with 593 runs in 14 innings in the following season, which came at an average of 53.90 but his strike rate from that season onwards has been on a consistent decline.

While his strike rate during the 2019 season was 135.38, it came down to 129.34 in 2020, where he racked up 670 runs in 14 innings at 55.83.

In the 14th season, his strike rate increased a bit but there were still some knocks where he could have shown more intent. In 7 innings, the stylish opener scored 331 runs at 66.20 but at a  strike rate of 136.21 with 4 50s.

Mumbai Indians – Jasprit Bumrah (Rs 7 Crore); Highest earning player – Rohit Sharma (Rs 15 Crore)

Mumbai Indians have a plethora of match-winners in the IPL but if there is one cricketer, who just can’t be replaced, it’s the champion pacer, Jasprit Bumrah.

Bumrah is a once-in-a-generation beast, who possesses the rare gift of bowling at the death, and with absolute precision.

Every time, Mumbai Indians need a wicket or defend low totals, Rohit Sharma invariably looks at one man- Jasprit Bumrah.

And, more often than not, Bumrah delivers.

The second-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2020- 27 wickets in 14 games at 14.96 and an economy rate of 6.73- Bumrah has thus far claimed 115 wickets in 99 IPL games at an average of 24.14 and an economy rate of 7.39 with two 4-wicket-hauls.

It is needless to say which player MI will retain first when the mega auction comes around next year.

SunRisers Hyderabad – Rashid Khan (Rs 9 Crore); Highest earning player – David Warner (Rs 12.5 Crore)

Rashid neither gives runs and chips away at wickets in almost every game. He is a four-over banker for SRH.

In the past two seasons, Khan has really taken his game to a completely different level. He was the leading wicket-taker for SRH in the 13th season- 20 wickets in 16 games- and the most damning stat was that he gave away runs at just 5.37 per over.

Even in the 14th season where SRH struggle to the hilt, Rashid Khan was the lone shining point for the ‘Orange Army.

In 7 games, Rashid claimed 10 wickets at an average of 17.20 and an outrageous economy rate of 6.14.  Add his more than handy hitting ability with the bat, and Rashid Khan is a complete package, a once-in-a-generation freak.

Rajasthan Royals – Jofra Archer(Rs 7.2 Crore); Highest earning player – Chris Morris (Rs 16. 25 Crore)

Jofra Archer missed the now-suspended 14th season of the IPL due to injury and Rajasthan Royals missed their talisman to the hilt.

Archer is one of the best white-ball seamers of the modern era. His ability to hurry the batsman with his extreme pace, and at the same time, befuddle them with the disconcerting kick off the surface that he gets, has fetched him a lot of success in T20 cricket and the IPL.

Archer has thus far featured in 35 IPL games in which he has claimed as many as 46 wickets at an average of 21.32 and an economy rate of 7.13.

Rajasthan Royals’ seam-bowling has been perennially poor over the years, and it is safe to say that more than Jos Buttler or Sanju Samson, he is their most valuable player.

Kolkata Knight Riders – Andre Russell (Rs 8.5 Crore); Highest earning player – Pat Cummins (Rs 15.5 Crore)

Andre Russell may have not been able to emulate his exploits of the 2019 season in the past two editions but he still remains the MVP of KKR.

Russell is someone who can change the course of a game with both bat and ball, and his 3D skills is what makes him such a priceless asset for any team.

He showcased that facet in the recent IPL when he picked up a 5-wicket-haul (5/15 in 2 overs) against the Mumbai Indians and smashed a maniac 22-ball 54 against CSK- an innings that included 6 sixes and 3 fours.

Russell’s best exploits in the IPL came during the 2019 season where he smashed 510 runs in 13 innings at an average of 56.66 and a strike rate of 204.81 besides claiming 11 wickets at 26.09.

He had a poor season last year, but he showed a glimpse of his past exploits this year as he racked up 163 runs in 7 innings at a strike rate of 155.23 besides taking 7 wickets at 16.28.

However, unlike the previous seasons, Dre Russ often failed to take his team past the finishing line and that is one of the reasons why KKR lost 5 out of their 7 fixtures.

Also Read- IPL 2021: Rating Bowlers’ Performances In The Death Overs In The 14th Season