IPL 2019: Five overseas players who might go unsold in the auction

The four overseas players, if picked and balanced rightly, can work wonders for any Indian Premier League (IPL) team. Over the years, we’ve witnessed several of those cricketers mesmerise the Indian fans with their heroics. They have got the capabilities of taking the game away from the oppositions and are one of the major attractions of the league. But, once this selection process goes wrong, things can get ugly.

There is constant experimentation that goes on and a bulk of the matches are done by the time this right combination is found. Just like in all other seasons, the franchises have decided to leave out some of the foreign cricketers whom they feel don’t fit into their squad. While a few of them are expected to bag big bucks, some might go unsold. We take a look at five of them who may find no bidders.

1. Mark Wood

Brother Mark, as he was fondly called at the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) camp, was released by the franchise ahead of IPL 2019. Wood often hurries the batsmen with his pace and also gets some steep bounce out of the pitches. This is one of his biggest strengths but he hasn’t quite been able to translate his potential in Indian conditions where fast bowlers don’t get much assistance from the wickets.

The pitches do not offer a great deal of bounce and hence he wasn’t as successful. Wood only featured in one game for the Super Kings in their first match against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium. In his four overs, he gave away 49 runs and didn’t pick any wicket. With ECB setting norms surrounding the English players’ participation in the league, Wood might find no bidders for the next season.

2. Daniel Christian

Australian fast bowler Daniel Christian first came into the limelight as someone who could hit the ball hard and long. He was picked by the now defunct Deccan Chargers in 2011 where he played all the games in the season. But, he has found very little success playing on Indian pitches even after all these years. In a total of 40 matches, he only scored 446 runs at a rather dismal average of 18.

Things got worse in the 2018 season where he scored 26 runs in 4 games at a strike rate of 79. With the ball in hand, he picked up four wickets in as many games. There isn’t any reason why the franchises should buy him after the pathetic run thus far. The 35-year-old is currently playing his trade for Jozi Stars in the inaugural edition of the Mzansi Super League (MSL) in South Africa.

3. Corey Anderson

New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson is another cricketer who has found very little success on Indian soil. He first grabbed all the limelight when he scored a 36-ball century in ODIs, breaking retired Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi’s record after 17 years. Although the record was broken by AB de Villiers later on, this century did just enough for him to bag a lucrative IPL contract.

Anderson played for Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils and the Royal Challengers Bangalore thus far. Even though he won a few games on his own here and there, he has been highly inconsistent. He featured in three games in 2018 in which he scored 17 runs and picked three wickets. He gave away runs at an economy rate over 13 and RCB lost one or two games because of his failures.

4. Pat Cummins

The 25-year-old right-arm fast was acquired by the Mumbai Indians in the auction. However, a back injury ruled him out of the entire IPL 2018 and he was replaced by New Zealand paceman Adam Milne. A fiery pacer who bowls his heart out, Pat Cummins is a great asset for any team that he plays for. But, his injury profile doesn’t really encourage the franchise owners to shell out big amounts on him.

With the World Cup in England and Wales just following the 20-overs event, Pat Cummins, in a bid to keep himself fit, could forgo the entire IPL or at least a part of it. Hence, there is a good chance that he will remain unsold. The 25-year-old recently plied his trade for New South Wales against Queensland in the ongoing Sheffield Shield, Australia’s domestic first-class tournament.

5. Mitchell Starc

Inarguably, Mitchell Starc is one the most lethal left-arm pacers at the moment in world cricket and he is one of the best in the business. He swings the ball both ways and extracts a good amount of bounce. The 28-year-old was earlier with the RCB since 2014. However, he played only one season more, i.e., 2015 and opted out of the next two seasons due to injuries and national commitments.

Ahead of the 2018 season, Kolkata Knight Riders picked Starc for INR 9.4 crores but it was a no-show yet again. He suffered a tibial bone stress fracture owing to which he couldn’t play the tournament. Hence, the management took a huge call to leave him out. Although Starc is in the auction, the teams might not bid for him as he could opt out of the league to prepare for the World Cup.

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