In the ongoing auction for the 11th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), where some players have managed to attract some very interesting deals, there are some who have failed to attract any bid at all.
The fact that these players involve big names who are playing international cricket has come as a shock to many. The biggest of them all being the Bradman of T20 cricket, Chris Gayle.
The highest run-scorer in T20s, Gayle, failed to attract a bid from any franchise despite playing for West Indies and across the world as a freelance T20 cricketer.
Captain of England in Test matches, Joe Root, also failed to attract any franchise. Root had withdrawn from the upcoming the first-of-its-kind T20I triangular series against New Zealand and Australia in New Zealand to prepare for the IPL.
Murali Vijay, who has played numerous crucial innings for Chennai Super Kings and has captained Kings XI Punjab in the past, was another played amongst the list of unsold players.
Hashim Amla, who had scored 420 runs in 10 matches at an average of 60 and a strike arte of 145.83, including two centuries, faced the axe as well. His KXIP teammate in Martin Guptill also remained unsold during the auction.
‘Man of the Match’ in the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, James Faulkner, also remained unsold in the first round of the auction. Parthiv Patel, who was Mumbai Indians’ highest run-scorer in the last IPL, was also deficient of a bid.
Former and current Australian fast bowler in Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood too failed to attract any bidders. Their Trans-Tasman mates in Tim Southee and Mitchell McClenaghan also remained unsold in the auction. Ishant Sharma, who was unsold in the previous auction before Kings XI Punjab bought him as a replacement, went unsold as well.
Lasith Malinga, a legendary name in limited-overs cricket, went unsold as well. Ish Sodhi, presently the No. 1 T20I bowler, also failed to get any buyers.
On franchises’ demand, these players can be brought up again in the auction at a later stage.
