IPL 2023: Notable absentees from the auction list
All 10 franchises are gearing up as the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 mini auction approaches. Each team was allotted Rs. 95 crore to build their teams and it will be interesting to see what the final squads would look like. While several prominent names will go under the hammer, there will be some notable absentees as well. Let's look at the latter category.
A look at the key details
The auction will be held in Kochi on December 23. It will commence at 2:30 PM IST. While a total of 405 players have been shortlisted, only the first 86 players will certainly be called for auction. The rest will be part of the accelerated process that will commence from player No 87. Several notable players won't feature in the high-voltage bidding event.
Martin Guptill is not among the shortlisted players
New Zealand great Martin Guptill, who registered in the Rs. 1 crore bracket, has not been shortlisted. The third-highest scorer in T20Is, Guptill, hasn't been able to do much in IPL. He owns just 270 runs in 13 matches at 22.5. The dashing opener played his last IPL match in 2019. As his stocks have gone down recently, franchises haven't shown interest in him.
End of Kedar Jadhav in IPL?
Once a vital part of India's white-ball teams, Kedar Jadhav won't go under the hammer. The 37-year-old, who went unsold last season, isn't likely to feature in IPL in the future. Notably, he owns 1,196 in 93 IPL games at 22.15. Playing for Chennai Super Kings, he famously smashed a match-winning six in the last over vs Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2018 opener.
Pat Cummins pulls out to manage the workload
Pat Cummins, who bagged a whopping 15.5 crore from Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2020 auction, hasn't registered for next season. As the pacer is now Australia's Test and ODI skipper, he wants to manage the workload for international assignments. He has claimed 45 wickets in 42 IPL matches at 30.16. One of his three IPL fifties came off 14 balls, the joint-fastest in the tournament.
Mitchell Starc continues to stay away from IPL
Cummins' Aussie teammate Mitchell Starc will miss another IPL season to remain fit for international games. The left-arm pacer, who played his last IPL game in 2015, has 34 wickets in 27 games at 20.38. Notably, Starc is one of the finest pacers going around and is well capable of igniting a bidding war among franchises. However, international cricket has been his top priority.
Steve Smith to miss this season
Another Aussie on this list is none other than Steve Smith, who hasn't registered. The former Rising Pune Supergiant and Rajasthan Royals captain, Smith has made a significant mark in IPL. However, his stocks in T20 cricket have gone down recently. He even went unsold last season. Meanwhile, he boasts 2,485 runs in 103 IPL matches at 34.51. (50s: 11, 100: 1).
