IPL 2018 Auction, Day 1: Unsold XI

The ‘Mega-Auction’ for the eleventh season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) got underway today. Day 1 of the two-day event was full of excitement, competition and surprises. The players, experts and fans were glued to the television sets all day long.

With complete recomposition of most franchises, the fans will see their favourite players in new colours this year. Most teams went out and out for the players that were there on their radar. However, there were also some surprise omissions of the players that were expected to be sold.

The franchises opted to leave out some big players which was a clear indication of form being the determining factor over reputation. Here is a look at the ‘Unsold XI’ on Day-1:

1. Chris Gayle:

Often considered as one of the fiercest hitters of the cricket ball, Chris Gayle remained unsold on Day 1 of the auction. The ‘Universe Boss’ hasn’t been in the greatest of forms with the bat. He was also dropped from the RCB side many a time last year.

Since he hit a couple of centuries in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) this season, many expected his previous franchise, RCB to pick him at least at the base price but none of the eight showed any interest. He was a force to reckon with when he played for the RCB however his time seems to have passed.

2. Martin Guptill:

The Kiwi opener too hits the ball hard. He was previously with the Kings XI Punjab and adds quite some value to the side he represents. Although Martin Guptill hasn’t been as effective on sub-continent pitches, he can take any opposition bowler apart when he is on song.

He wouldn’t have had a lot of expectations having remained unsold in the 2016 auction as well. Though he was later roped in as a replacement into the Mumbai Indians side. The knocks he produced didn’t quite meet the expectations.

3. Murali Vijay (C):

Vijay is one of the most stylish stroke makers out there. He has a beautiful bat swing and can clear the boundary easily. He was the captain of the Kings XI Punjab last season. But given his restriction to just Test cricket at the highest level and no quality exposure to the shortest format, the teams weren’t quite certain if Vijay was a reliable option as an opener. Thus he attracted no bidders and went unsold. He is the captain of this unsold XI.

4. Hashim Amla:

Although he is not a smasher of the cricket ball, Hashim Amla has his own sweet technique to hit the ball and can accumulate safe yet fast runs. He adds stability to the line-up and always scores those crucial runs at the top of the order. He played for KXIP last season and was phenomenal with two centuries to his name. Amla too was expected to be picked but the franchises weren’t as interested.

5. Sam Billings (wk):

This English batsman was impressive for the Delhi Daredevils last season. He batted in the top order and gave his team some good starts. Sam had an impressive strike rate and scored two fifties in IPL 2017. He also doubles up as a wicketkeeping option. But the franchises this year were more interested in Indian wicketkeepers and thus there were no billers for Billings.

6. James Faulkner:

The Australian all-rounder is a very good prospect with the ball given all his variations and with the bat considering his hard-hitting prowess. Faulkner can hit the ball big and clear any boundary with ease. However, he hasn’t been very effective with the ball of late and is leaking runs across T20 league. He is also out of favour with the Australian side. Thus it was hardly a surprise that the all-rounder returned empty.

7. Tim Southee:

Southee can swing the ball both ways and also has the variations to bowl at the end. The Kiwi pacer often picks some early wickets and also troubles the batsmen with his line and lengths. But he needs assistance from the conditions to pose questions and white ball just doesn’t swing. His poor IPL record and that in the subcontinent further prevented a signing.

8. Samuel Badree:

The former RCB bowler could turn out to be very useful in the pressure over. Having him in the team will give any captain a luxury of bowling three of his overs in the powerplay. Badree is also very economical and hits the right lines. He also picks some early wickets and give the team an early edge. But he also fell behind on the form front and had no buyers.

9. Mitchell McClenaghan:

This left-arm seamer was Rohit Sharma’s go-to man in the MI setup. He bowled both with the new ball to start the proceedings and at the death. Mitchell McClenaghan with his pace and smart bowling also has the knack of picking wickets. Mumbai among others were expected to go after him but his recent outings in the Big Bash League (BBL) leading the Thunder have been disappointing and that probably took away his chances of winning a contract.

10. Lasith Malinga:

He has been one of the most valuable players in the IPL. Lasith Malinga played the most important role in MI’s journey in all the three title wins. Bowling those toe-crushing yorkers, slow bouncers and brilliant change of pace, Malinga was always ahead of the batsmen. However, with the age and fitness not on his side, franchises didn’t favour picking him.

11. Adam Zampa:

T20 cricket in the recent times has evolved as leg-spinners game. Every side at the international level as well as in T20 leagues is giving leg-spinners a lot of importance. Zampa had a mixed last season with RPS and was expected to find at least one interested team. But he has been inconsistent even for Australia and has had a cold BBL season thus far, that took away his chance of featuring in the IPL 2018.