IPL 2022: 5 Unsold overseas players who can come in as replacements

The IPL mega auction which was held on 12th and 13th February was a huge event for certain players. On the contrary, there were a few players who went unsold. But nevertheless, there are chances for those players to get back into this league as replacements.

Out of the 600 shortlisted players, only 204 players attracted bids. The rest of them went unsold. In the list of the unpicked players, there are many deserving world-class candidates. But, due to combinations and the purse limitations, such players were left unsold.

However, they can be roped into the squad anytime if any existing player from the team becomes unavailable for the tournament. Moreover, with the existing bio-bubble situations, there is a possibility for the unsold players to enter the IPL. The IPL schedule has been released and the tournament is set to be played from March 26 to May 29.

5 Unsold overseas players who can come in as replacements:

1. Steve Smith

One of the greatest modern Test batters on the Australian cricket team is Steve Smith. Maybe only this tag followed him and hence he has not got any offer from the teams to represent the IPL 2022. Smith isn’t a newbie to the IPL and has experience of playing more than 100 matches in the cash-rich league.

Apart from his batting, he has also been the captain of the Rajasthan Royals side for five long years. In 103 IPL matches, he has scored 2485 runs overall at an average and strike rate of 34.51 and 128.09 respectively. He also has a century to his name which is very rare in the shortest format.

Smith is part of Australia’s T20 squad too. But all these qualifications weren’t enough for him to get an IPL contract. His major criticism was his inability to clear the ropes like the other hard-hitting batters. Hence, he was unsold in the auction. But, it won’t be a surprise if one of the franchises gets him as a replacement batter.