Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Rookie Indians still offer paisa vasool

Last updated on: April 25, 2009 15:33 IST

After IPL2's first 10 matches, the numbers still have an unsettled look about them. Blame it on the rain, and IPL2's awkward schedule: Mumbai Indians have completed only one match, while Bangalore Royal Challengers are getting ready to play their fourth match!

Rookie Indians still offer the best value

As with IPL1, young Indian cricketers -- offered money ranging between $30,000 - $50,000; it is very hard to find exact prices paid to non-auctioned players -- still provide the best value for money (PVI).

Player Team From Runs Strike Rate W Eco M MVPI Money offered ($) PVI Age
Pragyan Ojha DC IND 0 -- 3 5.1 2 64 30000 67 22
L Balaji CSK IND 0 -- 5 5.8 2 90 30000 67 27
Pradeep Sangwan DD IND 0 -- 3 7.8 2 51 30000 85 18
Kamran Khan RR IND 3 60.0 3 5.6 2 70 30000 86 18
Karan Goel KXI IND 38 135.7 0 -- 2 41 30000 105 22
M Gony CSK IND 6 300.0 4 9.2 3 55 30000 117 25
A S Raut RR IND 21 161.5 0 -- 1 30 30000 187
Yashpal Singh KKR IND 20 111.1 0 -- 2 30 30000 203
Harmeet Singh DC IND 0 -- 1 8.4 2 20 30000 220 21
Anureet Singh KKR IND 0 -- 2 8.8 1 25 30000 223 21
Mahesh Rawat RR IND 4 57.1 0 -- 2 27 30000 224 24
D Mascarenhas RR ENG 27 93.1 4 6.1 2 89 100000 225 31
Ashok Dinda KKR IND 2 100.0 2 8.3 2 26 30000 231 25
Ravindra Jadeja RR IND 33 91.7 0 7.0 2 26 30000 235 20
Abhishek Nayar MI IND 35 250.0 0 -- 1 53 100000 245 25
Scott Styris DC NZ 14 175.0 5 8.0 2 89 175000 281 33
AB de Villiers DD SA 105 194.4 0 -- 2 151 300000 285 25
Shikhar Dhawan MI IND 22 104.8 0 -- 1 18 40000 290 23
D Ravi Teja DC IND 8 160.0 0 -- 2 14 30000 312 21
Laxmi Shukla KKR IND 21 110.5 0 11.0 3 19 30000 343 28
M Hayden CSK AUS 166 171.1 0 -- 3 223 375000 361 37
Ajantha Mendis KKR SL 0 -- 2 4.8 1 41 100000 453 24
Tillakaratne Dilshan DD SL 50 185.2 0 -- 2 74 250000 481 32
Jesse Ryder BRC NZ 0 0.0 3 6.1 2 55 160000 584 24
Praveen Kumar BRC IND 22 115.8 5 7.4 3 101 300000 638 22
Fidel Edwards DC WI 3 150.0 1 5.6 2 34 150000 640 27
Vinay Kumar BRC IND 13 162.5 0 9.3 2 9 30000 667 25
Dwayne Bravo MI WI 5 125.0 1 6.8 1 27 150000 714 25
Venugopal Rao DC IND 9 69.2 0 -- 2 6 30000 745 27
Lasith Malinga MI SL 0 -- 3 3.8 1 60 350000 750 25
Virat Kohli BRC IND 64 120.8 0 9.0 3 84 300000 768 20
Yo Mahesh DD IND 0 -- 1 12.5 1 5 30000 771 21
Adam Gilchrist DC AUS 84 150.0 0 -- 2 126 700000 797 37
Dirk Nannes DD AUS 0 -- 0 8.0 2 12 70000 833 33

The real surprise in this list is to find a handful of big names like Scott Styris, A B de Villiers, Matthew Hayden, Dwayne Bravo, Lasith Malinga and Adam Gilchrist – earning 5 to 20 times more than young Indian players and still having a PVI below 1000. This constitutes exceptional performance.

'Expensive' players seldom have a PVI below 2000

Expensive players -- with prices over $700,000 -- usually find it very difficult to have a paisa vasool index (PVI) above 2000. The table below lists the PVI of the 30 most expensive players.

Player Team From Runs Strike Rate Wkt Eco M MVPI Money ($) PVI Age
A Flintoff CSK ENG 62 117.0 2 9.5 3 81 1550000 4088 31
K Pietersen BRC ENG 43 93.5 3 6.4 3 85 1550000 3908 28
MS Dhoni CSK IND 57 121.3 0 -- 3 75 1500000 4300 27
Sachin Tendulkar MI IND 59 120.4 0 -- 1 61 1121250 2373 36
Sourav Ganguly KKR IND 47 111.9 2 6.9 3 77 1092500 3060 36
Yuvraj Singh KXI IND 54 138.5 0 -- 2 59 1063750 2565 27
Rahul Dravid BRC IND 134 144.1 0 -- 3 171 1035000 1299 36
Sanath Jayasuriya MI SL 26 130.0 2 8.5 1 53 975000 2365 39
Jean-Paul Duminy MI SA 9 128.6 0 -- 1 9 950000 13205 25
Ishant Sharma KKR IND 10 100.0 3 6.6 3 66 950000 3084 20
Irfan Pathan KXI IND 38 158.3 0 9.0 2 40 925000 3304 24
Jacques Kallis BRC SA 39 118.2 0 11.8 2 20 900000 9114 33
RP Singh DC IND 0 -- 6 5.1 2 109 875000 1152 23
Harbhajan Singh MI IND 4 200.0 1 5.0 1 32 850000 3415 28
Virender Sehwag DD IND 44 176.0 0 -- 2 64 833750 1854 30
Chris Gayle KKR WI 95 133.8 0 8.0 3 110 800000 1555 29
Rohit Sharma DC IND 52 173.3 0 -- 2 90 750000 1197 22
Gautam Gambhir DD IND 15 107.1 0 -- 2 13 725000 8286 27
Adam Gilchrist DC AUS 84 150.0 0 -- 2 126 700000 797 37
K Sangakkara KXI SL 34 97.1 0 -- 2 28 700000 3540 31
B McCullum KKR NZ 25 89.3 0 -- 2 38 700000 3684 27
Jacob Oram CSK NZ 8 133.3 1 7.5 1 39 675000 3256 30
Manoj Tiwary DD IND 9 69.2 0 11.0 2 13 675000 7278 23
Suresh Raina CSK IND 77 118.5 0 -- 3 84 650000 1653 22
Albie Morkel CSK SA 18 105.9 2 8.8 2 41 650000 3190 27
Tyron Henderson RR SA 11 73.3 1 7.5 1 18 650000 6614 34
Daniel Vettori DD NZ 0 -- 5 6.3 2 99 625000 906 30

Only 8 of these 30 players currently have a PVI below 2000: Rahul Dravid, R P Singh, Virender Sehwag, Chris Gayle, Rohit Sharma, Adam Gilchrist, Suresh Raina and Daniel Vettori. These players offers exceptional value for money.

On the other hand, Jean-Paul Duminy, Jacques Kallis, Gautam Gambhir, Manoj Tewari and Tyron Henderson -- with a PVI of over 5000 -- have a bit of work to do to justify their high price tag.

Quality matters

After playing his first IPL2 match, Rahul Dravid said that one needs to play real cricketing shots to succeed this time: You can't just "tee off" like you do on bland Indian pitches.

What Dravid said about batting is equally true about bowling. The most valuable players in IPL2 so far have, in many cases, also been among the most gifted.

The table below lists the 20 most valuable players after the first 10 IPL2 matches. This is based on Rediff.com's most valuable player index (MVPI).

Player Team From Runs Strike Rate W Eco M MVPI PVI Age
M Hayden CSK AUS 166 171.1 0 -- 3 223 361 37
Rahul Dravid BRC IND 134 144.1 0 -- 3 171 1299 36
AB de Villiers DD SA 105 194.4 0 -- 2 151 285 25
Adam Gilchrist DC AUS 84 150.0 0 -- 2 126 797 37
Chris Gayle KKR WI 95 133.8 0 8.0 3 110 1555 29
RP Singh DC IND 0 -- 6 5.1 2 109 1152 23
Praveen Kumar BRC IND 22 115.8 5 7.4 3 101 638 22
Daniel Vettori DD NZ 0 -- 5 6.3 2 99 906 30
Anil Kumble BRC IND 2 33.3 5 6.3 3 93 1149 38
Rohit Sharma DC IND 52 173.3 0 -- 2 90 1197 22
L Balaji CSK IND 0 -- 5 5.8 2 90 67 27
Scott Styris DC NZ 14 175.0 5 8.0 2 89 281 33
D Mascarenhas RR ENG 27 93.1 4 6.1 2 89 225 31
K Pietersen BRC ENG 43 93.5 3 6.4 3 85 3908 28
Suresh Raina CSK IND 77 118.5 0 -- 3 84 1653 22
Virat Kohli BRC IND 64 120.8 0 9.0 3 84 768 20
A Flintoff CSK ENG 62 117.0 2 9.5 3 81 4088 31
Shane Warne RR AUS 5 45.5 4 5.4 2 77 1165 39
Sourav Ganguly KKR IND 47 111.9 2 6.9 3 77 3060 36

This list is slightly misleading because only players who have played more matches (M) tend to show up. But at least 10 of the 20 players here are cricketing greats of their generation. This list would almost certainly have included Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya too if Mumbai Indians had played their second match.

Almost half the top players are aged over 30 – and therefore started their cricketing career well before the appearance of Twenty20 cricket. But they are still on the list because of their impeccable pedigree.

Strike rates tell a story

In Twenty20 cricket, par strike rates tend to be well over 120 runs in 100 balls, and the best batsmen often have strike rates of over 150. The table below lists IPL2 players with the best strike rates. Only players who have aggregated more than 35 runs are included in the list.

Player Team From Runs Strike Rate M MVPI Money offered ($) PVI Age
Abhishek Nayar MI IND 35 250.0 1 53 100000 245 25
AB de Villiers DD SA 105 194.4 2 151 300000 285 25
Tillakaratne Dilshan DD SL 50 185.2 2 74 250000 481 32
Virender Sehwag DD IND 44 176.0 2 64 833750 1854 30
Rohit Sharma DC IND 52 173.3 2 90 750000 1197 22
M Hayden CSK AUS 166 171.1 3 223 375000 361 37
Irfan Pathan KXI IND 38 158.3 2 40 925000 3304 24
Yusuf Pathan RR IND 53 151.4 2 63 475000 1502 26
Adam Gilchrist DC AUS 84 150.0 2 126 700000 797 37
M Jayawardene KXI SL 37 148.0 2 43 475000 1587 31
Rahul Dravid BRC IND 134 144.1 3 171 1035000 1299 36
Yuvraj Singh KXI IND 54 138.5 2 59 1063750 2565 27
Karan Goel KXI IND 38 135.7 2 41 30000 105 22
Chris Gayle KKR WI 95 133.8 3 110 800000 1555 29
MS Dhoni CSK IND 57 121.3 3 75 1500000 4300 27
Virat Kohli BRC IND 64 120.8 3 84 300000 768 20
Sachin Tendulkar MI IND 59 120.4 1 61 1121250 2373 36
Ravi Bopara KXI ENG 37 119.4 2 37 450000 1749 24
Suresh Raina CSK IND 77 118.5 3 84 650000 1653 22
Jacques Kallis BRC SA 39 118.2 2 20 900000 9114 33
A Flintoff CSK ENG 62 117.0 3 81 1550000 4088 31
Sourav Ganguly KKR IND 47 111.9 3 77 1092500 3060 36

The strike rate table points to something rather interesting: batsmen who score rapidly usually offer significantly better value for money. Among batsmen with a strike rate exceeding 130, only Irfan Pathan and Yuvraj Singh have a PVI above 2000. So, other things being equal, the franchise owner should pick the big hitter.

In fact he can do even better. A detailed regression model fitted last year by clever young students from Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, indicated that a batsman with the highest product of (strike rate * average score) offered the best value for money.

Based on the detailed IPL1 analysis carried out by Purnendu Maji in 2008. The paisa vasool index uses a model developed by M J Manohar Rao and Rajeeva L Karandikar.

Srinivas Bhogle