With each passing IPL auction, one thing is becoming as clear as daylight: Local or domestic talents are gaining in traction among franchises over the last few years than the overseas arrivals. The just-concluded auction also saw some indigenous talents laughing all the way to the bank and some high-profile Indian and foreign stars evincing no interest whatsoever. The script this time was not entirely unpredictable. So, we have decided to focus on some uncapped costly picks and noteworthy rejections this time around.
The Unheralded To Hit The Jackpot
Avesh Khan
The Madhya Pradesh quickie is yet to play for Team India in any format, however, the fact has not deterred the IPL franchises from betting big on this promising talent. The newest team to grace the cash-rich Indian League, Lucknow Super Giants splurged 10 crores to snare this fast bowling prodigy from other competitive bidders. It was really surprising that the Delhi Capitals chose to release him last year despite being the second-highest wicket taken in the IPL 2021 edition with 24 wickets. So, it is Lucknow’s gain at the expense of the national capital for now.
Rahul Tewatia
Another uncapped player to fetch a handsome amount at this year’s auction happened to be this Haryana all-rounder. The newly formed IPL outfit, Gujarat Titans almost broke the bank to get Tewatia on board. Nobody can forget the 31-ball 53 (2020) he played against Kings XI Punjab in the humid Sharjah weather to pull off a coup, especially the West Indian bowler Sheldon Cottrell whom he hit 5 sixes in the match to help Rajasthan Royals chase down an imposing 224 back then. There were several other instances as well when his pyrotechnics lit up the IPL and these knocks would have been instrumental in him walking away with 9 crores at this year’s auction.
High-profile Names To Endure The Royal Ignore
Suresh Raina
What is IPL without Raina, the “Chinna Thalai” of the CSK? You might ask. The reality is that the IPL fanatics should come to the grips with the fact that the once dangerous middle-order batsman might have played his last for one of the most popular T-20 leagues across the continents. At 39 only a miracle can bring him back to the league that gave a new dimension to the career of the UP-born cricketer. If missing the entire 2020 IPL for “personal reasons” was not enough, his struggles with the bat in the last edition forced CSK to exclude him from the squad towards the business end of the tournament. Is that the reason why IPL franchise owners stayed away from the experienced yet expensive cricketer who is clearly past his prime?
Shakib Al Hassan
The T-20 leagues across the world value all-rounders a lot and that is why there were several eyes in disbelief when this star performer of Bangladesh did not find any takers. Currently, the number two T-20 all-rounder, Shakib was part of the Kolkata franchise last year which released him at the end of the season after some ordinary performances. Even his base price of 2 crores was a touch too commercially unviable considering the form he is in. This explains his absence from the Indian domestic T-20 league for the first time since making his debut in 2011.
Steve Smith
With 2,485 from 103 IPL matches, including one century and 11 fifties, Smith has had a good record in the league overall. However, just like some other celebrated names, the former Australian captain failed to fetch an IPL contract this season. He has not been in good form for the last few IPL seasons and the Delhi Capital, his team in 2021, did not play him in all matches due to his travails with the bat. Hence, it is worth asking if it was prudent on Smith’s part to keep the base price at 2 crores? Well, some introspections would certainly serve the Australian cricketer really well.
