Every IPL auction brings with it several surprises, but this year has seen some big shockers in the early sessions of the first day. Star international cricketers, who have previously been bought for huge amounts by franchises, went unsold at the player auction in Bengaluru.
Here’s a look at players who went unsold in the auction this year:
1. Lasith Malinga
Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga has been an iconic player in the tournament, and has been playing for Mumbai Indians since 2009. However, the 34-year-old cricketer has been struggling with form since his ankle surgery in 2015, and more so of late.
He was also dropped from Sri Lanka’s squad for the ODI and T20 series in India last year.
Catch all the live action from IPL Player Auction 2018 Day 2 here.
2. Hashim Amla
Considering the two massive centuries that he hit in the last season, Hashim Amla going unsold in this year’s auction came as a surprise. The top-order batsman had come in at a base price of Rs 1.5 crore.
The former South Africa captain, known for his batting prowess, was brought into the Kings XI Punjab squad as a replacement for an injured Shaun Marsh in the 2016 season. Last season, the cricketer scored a massive 420 runs in 10 matches, including two centuries and two half-centuries at a strike rate of 141.76
3. Joe Root
England Test captain Joe Root went unsold in his maiden IPL auction on 27 January. While he’s never been a part of an overseas league, the top-order batsman has played just five T20 Blast matches since 2012.
Earlier this month, the batsman was withdrawn from England’s T20 squad to play the inaugural tri-series against Australia and New Zealand.
4. Martin Guptill
Coming into the auction at a base price of Rs 75 lakh, New Zealand’s Martin Guptill was not picked up by any franchise for the upcoming season of the IPL.
Last year, the right-handed opening batsman scored just 189 runs in a total of 10 matches, while his highest score was an unbeaten 50.
5. James Faulkner
Aussie all-rounder James Faulkner is known for leading his team to victory in games that are almost out of their reach. A part of the Pune Warriors India set-up in IPL 2011, he played for Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2012 before being inducted into the Rajasthan Royals since IPL 2013.
During the 2016 auction, he was signed on by Gujarat Lions – now a disbanded franchise – for two seasons of the Indian Premier League. He signed a two-year T20 deal with Lancashire in December last year.
6. Shaun Marsh
Kings XI Punjab showed no interest in Shaun Marsh, who helped shape their team in the last 10 years. In the last IPL season, Marsh had scored 264 runs in nine matches, including two half-centuries. The Aussie batsman had recently scored a century during the second Ashes Test against England.
Despite coming up for a second time during the auction, Marsh had no takers for IPL 2018.
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