IPL 2018: Top picks from 2017 who went unsold this year

The auction for the Indian Premier League (IPL 2018) is unpredictable. The ones we expect to make it big usually goes begging while the others are snapped up for hefty prices. The 2018 auction witnessed many opt for uncapped players as opposed to those who have international experience in this format. Further, they also tend to go unsold in the auction hitting them with the harsh reality of life. Ravichandran Ashwin described the IPL auction as a house of casino recently. He was spot on with his comparison as the auction always brings in some surprises. There were some top buys from the previous edition who failed to attract any bidders this time. They don’t stand a chance to feature in the cash-rich league this edition. Here is a look at the top picks from 2017 who went unsold this year: 1. Tymal Mills- Bowler | RCB | ₹12 Crores Tymal Mills. (Photo Source: Twitter) Mills attracted the attention of all when England toured India in 2016-17. He featured in the England T20 squad and picked 3 wickets in the three games he played back then. In addition, he managed to attract the eyeballs as well with some fantastic bowling as well as some impressive death bowling as well. More than anything else, it was his ability to change his pace that attracted the Indian skipper Virat Kohli. He bowled at the high 140’s and also got his pace down to the 110’s. However, his high economy rate and low wicket-taking abilities ensured that the Challengers benched him for a majority of the 2017 season. He played in five matches picking 5 wickets. His underperformance last season didn’t find him any bidders this year. 2. Varun Aaron- Bowler | RCB | ₹2.8 Crores Varun Aaron of Kings XI Punjab. (Photo: Twitter) Varun Aaron came into the limelight as he was able to bowl quick. He hit the 145-mark on a regular basis which is a very rare commodity in Indian cricket. He and Umesh Yadav emerged on to the national scene as they bowled at an express pace. Although Umesh carried on and made it big, Aaron’s career has been filled with ups and downs. He was marred by injuries resulting in fall of his speeds. Interestingly, he was picked by the RCB for ₹2.8 crores last season. However, similar to the Challengers, Aaron also had a terrible and dismal outing. Similar to Mills, his economy was on the higher side and he failed to pick wickets consistently. This has seen him being unsold at the 2018 IPL auction. 3. Angelo Mathews- All-Rounder | DD | ₹2 Crores Angelo Mathews. (Photo Source: Twitter) Mathews has suffered from a lot of injuries recently something that prevents him from bowling as much as he once did. Although he was seen bowling in the recent ODI series against India, he didn’t look very comfortable. Another injury to his shoulder could be a potential threat to his career. His hitting abilities are also downscaling with the age mounting up. His performance for the Delhi franchise last year was dismal as he leaked runs and failed to make it big with the bat. Moreover, his numbers in the IPL aren’t great either. The franchises this year have given more importance to the form than the emotions or reputation. Also, the uncertainty over his availability due to injuries forced them not to bid for him. 4. Eoin Morgan- Batsman | KXIP | ₹2 Crores Eoin Morgan IPL. (Photo Source: Twitter) The England skipper too missed out on an IPL contract this season. He isn’t in great touch with the bat. In the recent ODI series against Australia, he scored 99 in five matches. He is struggling with his form and hasn’t been able to hit the ball big. In the IPL, he found it very tough to get the spinners away. With the restrictions of the number of overseas players in the eleven, Morgan found it tough to get into the KXIP lineup. Moreover, he isn’t as effective in the subcontinent conditions and hence failed to find a bidder at the auction. His strike rate in the IPL is just 121.13 which is far too less for a player of his standards. Earlier, he played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad before he was brought by KXIP last year. 5. Dale Steyn- Bowler | GL | ₹1.5 Crores Dale Steyn. (Photo Source: Twitter) Dale Steyn made a comeback to the international arena after close to a year in the first test against India. It never seemed that he was out of action for over a year. He was found hitting the right areas and was troubling the batsmen. Also, his pace was as high as it ever was. Unfortunately, he had to pull out midway through the match due to an injury to his ankle. He will be out of action for 4-5 weeks and is eyeing the Australia series for another comeback. The 34-year-old has been terrific in the IPL. He played most of his IPL matches for the Deccan Chargers and Sunrisers Hyderabad. He picked 92 wickets in 90 matches at an average of 25.07 and a commendable economy rate of 6.72. However, he was let go by the SRH in 2017 and was brought by Gujarat Lions at his base price. But he managed to get only one game in the season. Although many expected him to be picked, franchises opt not to because of his injury concerns.

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IPL 2018: Top picks from 2017 who went unsold this year

A few interesting players have gone unsold this time around.

4. Eoin Morgan- Batsman | KXIP | ₹2 Crores

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