Last Updated: June 25, 2026 02:42 PM
IPL had some terrible trades honestly. Big money wasted on failures. Star players didn’t deliver the expected results. Some of the worst trades in IPL history were when franchises lost lots of money. Some deals backfired badly there. Let’s look at these failures. Understanding why trades went wrong.
List of Worst Trades in IPL Till Date
- Devdutt Padikkal
Devdutt Padikkal’s trade was bad. Rajasthan traded him to Lucknow. He scored only 38 runs in 7 matches, which he barely played. The average was just 5 runs and the strike rate was terrible at 71. Two ducks in those matches. Lucknow released him very quickly. Padikkal returned to Rajasthan later.
- Shardul Thakur
Shardul Thakur was acquired by Mumbai at ₹2 crore for IPL 2026. Had 13 wickets in the previous season but performed badly with Mumbai. Won Player of the Match once and then struggled the rest of the season. The economic rate of 12.27 was poor. Only 12 wickets that season. Money was wasted on him badly.
- Ajinkya Rahane
Ajinkya Rahane traded from the Rajasthan Royals to the Delhi Capitals. But only scored 113 runs in 9 matches. The average of 14.13 was bad. Strike rate 105 is not good. Next season barely played matches. As the captain he failed badly, and Delhi regretted this trade deal.
- Cameron Green
Cameron Green was traded from the Mumbai Indians to RCB in 2024 for an all-cash deal. Total ₹17.50 crore to facilitate Hardik Pandya’s return. Green scored 255 runs at a strike rate of 143 and took 10 wickets. His contribution was deemed insufficient for the price paid.
- Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya’s trade was the worst. Gujarat Titans traded him to the Mumbai Indians in a 2024 deal. MI gave up Cameron Green. Green was actually a good player but Hardik needed. Mumbai expected him to perform well, but he clearly disappointed everyone.
His captaincy at Mumbai failed. The team missed the playoffs for two seasons. Lost in Qualifier 2 in IPL 2025. Performance with bat and ball was poor. Mumbai struggled without a proper leader. This trade tops the list of the worst trades in IPL history.
In Gujarat, he was great. Won the IPL title there and reached the final next year too. But Mumbai’s expectations went wrong. He couldn’t perform under pressure. The Mumbai team suffered because of these trade plans.
Why These Trades Failed
Franchises paid too much money and expected immediate results from stars. Pressure affected player performances badly. Change of franchise is tough. Some players need the right environment.
Mumbai struggles with leadership roles. Lucknow’s approach was too aggressive. Delhi’s captaincy plan went wrong. Worst trades in IPL history show the importance of smart trading. Not every star works everywhere. Money alone doesn’t guarantee success.
