IPL Auction 2020: Big Players Who Have Gone Unsold

Big names like Martin Guptill and Collin de Grandhomme went unsold in the ongoing 2020 IPL Auction.

IPL Players Auction 2020: A look at the players who went unsold in the auction.

(Photo: BCCI)

The auction for the 2020 season of Indian Premier League (IPL) is underway in Kolkata, and franchises are involved in a bidding war for their favorite players, but there are some big names that have gone unsold.

In the first round, Indian team players Cheteshwar Pujara and Hanuma Vihari – both with a base price of Rs 50 lakh – went unsold.

Both Pujara and Vihari represent India in the Test format and not in white-ball cricket, which is probably why they failed to find any takers in the IPL auction. T20 demands aggressive and attacking cricket, which is not Pujara and Vihari’s natural style.

Read on to know the other big names who failed to invite any bids and went unsold at the 2020 IPL auction:

1. Yusuf Pathan

Former Sunrisers Hyderbad player Yusuf Pathan also went unsold. He had a base price of Rs 1 crore.

One of the most ferocious hitters of the cricket ball, Yusuf Pathan was the only Indian batter who gave the West Indies batsmen a competition when it came to hitting big sixes in the IPL.

Pathan was one of the main architects of Rajasthan Royals’ surprise triumph in the first season of the league. During his three-season stay with the Rajasthan franchisee, Pathan had scored a 37-ball century, which made his name in the competition.

However, in the recent past, the elder Pathan brother has not been in great form and hasn’t been able to impress the franchises.

2. Colin de Grandhomme

The first overseas player to go unsold in the 2020 IPL auction was Colin de Grandhomme, who last played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. He had a base price of Rs 75 lakh.

The Kiwi all-rounder was not able to impress with his performance last year, which led to the RCB releasing him.

All-rounder Stuart Binny also went unsold. Binny has not been in a great form lately and has also not done well in the Indian Premier League so far.

3. Shai Hope

Another foreign player to go unsold in the 2020 IPL auction was West Indies batsman Shai Hope, who had a base price of Rs 50 lakh.

Hope recently scored a century (102*) in the first ODI against India in Chennai on Sunday, 15 December. He built his innings slowly as his partner Hetmyer was playing an explosive innings at the other end.

Though a good One-Day player, Hope still has a lot to prove in the shortest format of the game. He needs to improve his strike rate for the franchises to notice him.

4. Mushfiqur Rahim

Bangladesh wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim also went unsold at the 2020 IPL auction. He had a base price of Rs 75 lakh.

One of the most experienced Bangladesh players, Mushfiqur has time and again proved how good he is in ODIs and Tests. However, he has never been considered an explosive T20 batsman who could turn the match in the team’s favour single-handedly.

Another reason for him not getting any takers is that almost every franchise has a settled wicketkeeper-batsman in their squad.

5. Tim Southee

Kiwi pacer Tim Southee also went unsold in the IPL auction. He had a base price of Rs 1 crore.

The New Zealand cricketer played for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2019 edition of IPL. Southee played just three matches in the season and took one wicket at an economy of 8.73.

Still, the pacer not getting picked by any team comes as a shocker, as he is an experienced campaigner who has the ability to turn the course of a match.

6. Martin Guptill

Kiwi opener Martin Guptill was also not picked by any franchise in the 2020 IPL auction.

Guptill has failed to live up to his credentials in the IPL till now. With only 270 runs from 13 innings in the league, the swashbuckling opener found no bidders in the auction.

One of the reasons he failed at the Sunrisers was his inability to bat down the order. And with most of the sides sorted with their opening pair, Guptill’s exclusion did not come as a surprise.

Alzarri Joseph

Seamer Alzarri Joseph played for Mumbai Indians in the previous edition of the Indian Premier league. But this time around he found no buyers.

The base price for the West Indies bowler was 50 Lakh.

He took 6 wickets in three matches at an economy of 10.03 with 6/12 being his best figures, that he took on his IPL debut against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Him being unsold may come as a surprise to many, specially considering the fact that he did pretty well last season.