IPL 2018 Auction: 5 big names who might go unsold

The Indian Premier League (IPL) auction 2018 marks the beginning of hype and hullabaloo surrounding the main tournament. Franchises churn out strategies and bid for their marked players in the auctions. While some players earn handsome deals, many of them return with agony and disappointment. Several players go under the hammer, but they get no buyers. Subsequently, they remain unsold and return empty-handed. The event has also seen some big names go unsold over the past seasons. In our article, we take a look at five prominent names who might not bag a contract in the upcoming IPL. #1 Lasith Malinga Lasith Malinga of Mumbai Indians in action. (Photo Source: Twitter) Lasith Malinga’s skills lie in his ability to bowl Yorkers along with deceptive slower deliveries. He is predictable, yet batsmen around the world have found it difficult to get him away. The attributes, quite expectantly, earned him spots in T20 leagues across the globe. He was snapped up by the Mumbai Indians in 2008 IPL and it paid dividends for them as he stamped his authority with the ball. He has been mostly entrusted with the death over and has rarely done badly. However, he hasn’t had much to cheer in the last few months. Along with his declining pace, his accuracy has also gone down, which hasn’t helped the pacer. He has been featured consistently for Sri Lanka and had a forgettable stint in the Bangladesh Premier League. He also hasn’t been retained by Mumbai Indians and it won’t spring a surprise if Malinga remains unsold. #2 Chris Gayle Chris Gayle RCB. (Photo Source: Twitter) Chris Gayle, over the years, has carved a reputation for himself as a fearsome hitter of the cricket ball. He is difficult to restrict when in full flow and prefers to dictate terms to the bowlers. The Jamaican has played several T20 leagues and has entertained with his swashbuckling brand of cricket. He started his IPL stint with the Kolkata Knight Riders. However, after a couple of seasons, he moved to the Royal Challengers Bangalore where he cemented his spot in the first attempt itself with a majestic ton against the Knight Riders. However, he hasn’t been at his fluent best lately and has struggled to find a rhythm in his batting. He also lacked consistency during RCB’s erstwhile campaign, which raised doubts on his dwindling abilities. He hasn’t been picked in the PSL draft this season and IPL teams also might not opt for him. #3 Ishant Sharma Ishant Sharma. (Photo Source: Twitter) Ishant Sharma has been a gun bowler for India in international cricket, especially. He hasn’t been consistent enough, yet has managed to pick wickets up at regular intervals. However, he hasn’t played much of limited-overs cricket off late. The lanky fast bowler last represented India way back in 2016. He also remained unsold in the previous edition of the IPL. However, he was called upon as a replacement of Murali Vijay. He hasn’t featured consistently for his sides and has played 17 games over the last four editions of the tournament. In those matches, he has picked up seven wickets at an abysmal economy rate of over 9.50. There’s no dearth of talent in Ishant Sharma, however, lack of limited-overs cricket and lacklustre performances in the IPL might not fetch a contract for him during the auctions in Bangalore. #4 Nathan Lyon Nathan Lyon. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images) Nathan Lyon is one of Australia’s key forces in the spin department, especially in Test cricket. He has been a prolific wicket-taker for them in the longest format. However, he hasn’t played many limited-overs games. Moreover, he has played only one T20 International for his country. He made his T20 debut for South Australia against the New South Wales Blues way back in 2011. Since then, he has played only 35 T20s in domestic and international cricket. He hasn’t had any experience of playing in the Indian Premier League. In 2018 IPL auctions, he will enter with a base price of 1.5 crores INR, but chances of him bagging a deal look highly unlikely. In T20s, he has 45 wickets at an average of 18.68 and a strike-rate of 7.14 with best figures of 5/23 against the Hobart Hurricanes in 2015. #5 Dean Elgar Dean Elgar (Photo Source: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images/Getty Images) Dean Elgar has been outstanding for South Africa, especially in Test cricket. The Welkom-born cricketer has a solid technique and also employs an unruffled approach towards his batting. The attributes have subsequently helped him cement his spot in white-clothing cricket. Elgar has also represented the Proteas in six One Day Internationals, but couldn’t make an impact. Consequently, he was dropped from the team ad he hasn’t played a limited-overs game for South Africa since his last outing in October 2015 against India. The left-handed batsman will enter the auctions of the Indian Premier League for the maiden time. However, teams might not want to wish for him owing to his lack of experience in limited overs cricket and he might return empty-handed from the auctions. Stay tune to CricTracker website to get latest news and live updates on 2018 IPL player auctions and other cricket stories and news today around the world!

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IPL 2018 Auction: 5 big names who might go unsold

Here are a few players who may go unsold in the upcoming IPL auction.

#3 Ishant Sharma

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