IPL 2022: 5 Unsold batters who can come in as replacement signings

The IPL mega auction for the 2022 season took place on February 12th and 13th. The event decided the fortunes of many cricketers across the world. The auction saw some dramatic buys too. Some of the players who were expected to go for crores were paid very less like the cases of David Warner and Quinton de Kock.

Whereas, some players who were expected to go unsold went for a million bucks. Wanindu Hasaranga was purchased by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for a million, who would have predicted that? A few popular players went unsold which was a big surprise for the cricket fans and the experts. The tournament is undoubtedly going to be better than ever.

A total of 204 players from all over the globe earned contracts from the ten IPL franchises. Around 600 players were shortlisted for the auction but most of them got rejection. Fans of the unsold cricketers went heartbroken after the auction. Nevertheless, the unsold stars can still be seen playing the season as a replacement for some players suffering from niggles and personal issues. Take a look at the

5 Unsold Batters Who Could Return to IPL 2022 as Replacements

1. Martin Guptill

The flamboyant Kiwi batter is among the most successful batters in the history of T20 internationals. However, he has not played many games in the toughest cricket tournament. Guptill is a regular feature in the limited-over squads of the blackcaps. Guptill has been around the international cricket circuit for years and a few IPL teams will love to have an experienced player like him.

The 35-year-old has played 112 T20Is for New Zealand and has scored 3299 runs at an average of 32.66. He has two T20I hundreds to his name. Guptill’s contribution to the New Zealand cricket team has been precious. He has been a part of some beautiful memories to cherish for the New Zealand cricket team. Guptill has played various T20 leagues.

The Kiwi has played only 13 games in IPL and has scored 196 runs in those 13 games. Guptill has previously played for Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, and Sunrisers Hyderabad in several editions of IPL. The IPL team which will be the one wanting him the most can be Gujarat Titans.

2. Dawid Malan 

Dawid Malan is the fourth-ranked T20I batter at the moment. He was top-ranked for a good amount of time. Dawid Malan has established himself as a match-winner in the 20-over format of the game. Malan played the last season for the Punjab Kings but was not able to execute any impactful performance. None of the IPL teams went to bid for him.

It was surprising to see that even the teams like Kolkata Knight Riders and Gujarat Titans not bidding for him because both of those teams needed someone who could win games for them batting at number three or four. He is a good replacement to have for some of the teams as the long duration of the League sees different players getting injured.

His base price was 1.5 crores and getting a batter of his caliber for that amount of money is a splendid deal. Malan has scored 1239 runs in 36 T20Is at an incredible average of 41.3. Malan is a sound left-hand batter and is an effective player in the shortest format. Hopefully, we will see him in action if interestingly he will get signed as a replacement by any of the IPL team.

3. Aaron Finch

The winning Australian captain of the recently concluded 2021 T20 World Cup went unsold at the IPL 2022 mega auction. He is a fabulous white-ball batter and a good addition to a T20 team. Finch getting unsold was also a bit of a shock during the auction. Nevertheless, he still can return to the tournament as a replacement signing.

Aaron has been playing IPL since 2010. He has played for almost every IPL franchise. He has played 87 IPL games and has scored 2005 runs at an average of 25.38. He has been a crucial bloke for Australia in the limited-overs format. Aaron’s experience can be a blessing for most of the IPL teams and he is highly expected to return as a replacement.

In T20Is, he has played 88 games and has scored 2686 runs at an average of 34.44. Finch also holds the record of the highest individual score by an Australian in T20Is. He is one of the few international batters who have registered two hundreds in the international T20s. There is no doubt that he will be one of the first-choice players for signing as a replacement.

4. Chris Lynn

The hard-hitting Australian batter is a megastar in the Big Bash League. He was one of the most expensive players in the previous mega auction which took place in 2018. In the last few seasons, he has had very less appearances in IPL. But, he has made the most out of the limited opportunities that he has received.

The big hitter did a fabulous job for the Kolkata Knight Riders in a few seasons. He went unsold in this year’s auction but he can still become a part of the mega event. Chris Lynn is a stand-out match-winner in the T20s. He has played 42 IPL games and has scored 1329 runs at an average of 34.08. The main highlight of the batter is his strike rate. He strikes at 140.63 in IPL.

The 31-year-old has played 230 T20s across all leagues and has 6140 runs to his name. He is a brand ambassador of the franchise cricket. He plays almost every T20 league in the world. He has made a name for himself and some of the IPL teams might think of drafting him as a replacement.

5. Suresh Raina

Mr. IPL is not playing the 2022 season of the league and this was the most heart-breaking news from the mega auction. It was expected that he will get picked by the Chennai Super Kings. However, the “Chinna Thala” of the CSK fans will see the next season as a spectator. His performances were very ordinary in the 2021 season as per the standards he has set for himself.

The veteran southpaw has played 205 IPL games and has scored 5528 runs at an average of 32.52. He is fourth on the list of the leading run-scorers in the history of the tournament and was number one for a long period of time. His contribution to the Chennai Super Kings has been incredible. The second name after MS Dhoni that comes to our mind of CSK is Suresh Raina.

Raina was replaced by Robin Uthappa in the playing 11 of the previous season due to his poor performances. Raina might return to the league as a replacement as every team will want an IPL legend like him in their squad who can add different sorts of values to the team. Hopefully, we will see him play in the 2022 IPL season.