2019 IPL auction: Top players who went unsold
The Indian Premier league (IPL) auction for the 12th edition was held in Jaipur on Tuesday. Several players started a bidding war as teams went the distance to acquire them. Out of the 70 slots available across teams, 60 of them were filled. But there were many top names that didn't find any takers. Here's the list of top players who went unsold.
Celebrated Kiwi veteran McCullum gets ignored
After being released by RCB, Brendon McCullum set his base price at Rs. 2 crore, but the veteran star didn't attract any bids. In earlier editions, he was one of the top buys across several franchises. Baz, who has played 356 T20 matches, has gone on to amass 9,620 runs in the format. He helped Trinbago Knight Riders defend the 2018 CPL.
In-form Steyn misses the bus
Veteran South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn had set a base price of Rs. 1.50 crore for himself. The veteran pacer has done well since his return to the South African team earlier this year. Steyn has been bowling at a good pace and looks fitter. But teams who required foreign pacers, decided to ignore him and focus elsewhere.
Morkel a big miss given his experience
One expected former South African pacer Morne Morkel to get a deal. The experienced pacer knows a lot about the IPL and has featured for Delhi and Kolkata earlier. But teams who wanted pacers, decided not to have a crack at him. His base price was Rs. 1.50 crore. Recently, Morkel appeared in the T10 League in the UAE.
Hazratullah Zazai could have been a sound investment
Afghanistan's Hazratullah Zazai is a promising middle order batsman and at just 20, he is someone who could have been a sound future investment. The youngster has scored 712 runs in 20 T20 matches. He has already smashed a hundred and four fifties. He knows the conditions well and could have been a crucial addition at Rs. 50 lakh base price.
Other notable misses
Other notable star players who were ignored include- Mushfiqur Rahim (Bangladesh), Chris Jordan (England), Ben McDermott (Australia), Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe), Ankit Bawne (India) and Ishan Porel (India).
