5 Players who came back hard after going unsold in IPL auction earlier

No player would ever want to find no bidders for him at the IPL auction. Right from when his name is announced to the time someone buys him, the anxiousness levels for anyone are at peaks. However, there are times when only disappointment is left. Most of the players who go under the hammer often remain unsold. Teams have been a lot smarter in recent times in terms of their strategies and the players they’d like to acquire. Therefore, there are only tens of players who are sold. However, there are a few unsold players who have taken this as a challenge and performed with more determination in the other matches. When the got their opportunity in the IPL later on, they ensured that they made their mark and did extremely well. Here are five unsold players who made their mark when they got an opportunity later: 1. Steve Smith Steve Smith. (Photo Source: Twitter) Steve Smith is a legendary player now and is surely one of the best captains in the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, there was a time where he really struggled. When he started off as a leg-spinner, he was with the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Then, he moved the now terminated Kochi Tuskers Kerala side. However, it was not until 2012 that he got to make his IPL debut. When the Kochi players were put back into the auction pool, Steve Smith decided to go ahead with a base price of $200,000. But to his surprise, he found no bidders. Later though, the Pune Warriors team roped him in, and he got an opportunity to prove his worth. Ever since then, there has been no looking back for the former Australia captain. Steve Smith turned out to be one of the most vital players for the franchise and scored 362 runs from 15 matches at an average of 40.22 and strike rate of 135.88 that season. Despite his highest score being just 47* in 2012, he still remained an important part of the line-up. 2. Lasith Malinga Lasith Malinga. (Photo: IANS) Lasith Malinga is one of the most inspirational IPL stories you’ll ever come across. When Mumbai Indians won the title in 2015, he was one of the most instrumental in helping them get there with 24 wickets from 15 games. However, the Sri Lanka pacer was ruled out of the tournament in 2016 due to a knee injury. Coming back from this in 2017, he didn’t have the best of seasons. In 12 games, he only picked up 11 wickets and his economy rate went up significantly. After this, many thought it was ‘game over’ for him and he was also unsold in the IPL 2018 auction. For that season, he continued with Mumbai Indians as a part of the support staff. But he didn’t give up and when his name came up again in the IPL 2019 auction, MI purchased him at a bargain deal. It wasn’t really the best of seasons for him. He was expensive and became quite predictable as well. However, he kept chipping in with wickets that helped him hold onto his place in the eleven. In the final, though, he brought his best out defending 9 runs in the last over. He made the best use of his experience and only conceded 8 runs. Thus, Mumbai Indians became the champions for the fourth time. 3. Jonny Bairstow Jonny Bairstow. (Photo Source: Twitter) At a base price of INR 1.5 crores, England’s ace wicket-keeper batsman Jonny Bairstow went unsold in the IPL 2018 auction. But finally, he got his chance in the following year. The Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Kings XI Punjab fought for him at the auction table. In the end, it was the ‘Orange Army’ who got him at INR 2.20 crores. This was really a steal deal as Jonny Bairstow was unstoppable in that season. He proved that he deserved to be there and formed a formidable opening pair with Australia’s David Warner. He blew the oppositions apart with his scintillating batting and was one of the best performers of the season. In 10 games, he scored 445 runs at a fabulous average of 55.62 and strike rate of 157.24. He even got two fifties and one century in the season. 4. Prithvi Shaw Delhi Daredevils’ Prithvi Shaw. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/IANS) At the domestic level, Prithvi Shaw managed to make quite a name for himself at a very young age. Coming from Mumbai, he awed many with his batting skills and temperament. However, the youngster went unsold in the IPL 2017 auction. But by 2018 auction, there were two franchises that identified his talent. When his name came up, Delhi Daredevils (now, Delhi Capitals) and Mumbai Indians bid aggressively for him. At six times his base price, he was sold to the Daredevils at INR 1.2 crores. However, with Gautam Gambhir and other quality overseas openers in the squad, he had to wait for his chance. When Gambhir decided to drop himself, Shaw was drafted in and he immediately caught everyone’s eyes with his batting. He scored 245 runs in 9 games at a strike rate of 153.12 and proved to the other franchises why it was a costly mistake not to bid for him. 5. Chris Gayle Chris Gayle. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS) When life gives you an opportunity, grab it like Chris Gayle. The IPL 2011 season exactly justifies this statement. Despite scoring 292 runs at an average of 32.44 and a strike rate of 158.69, the Kolkata Knight Riders decided to part ways with him. Thus, the West Indies opener was put back into the auction. At $400,000, Gayle placed himself in the highest base price bracket for the auction. But to his surprise, he didn’t attract any bidders and went unsold. Later, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) decided to rope him in as a replacement for the injured Dirk Nannes. This move worked wonders for the franchise as Chris Gayle owned the season with his hitting ability. He mustered 608 runs in 12 matches at an average of 67.55 and a mindboggling strike rate of 183.13. He was a nightmare for the opposition bowlers and smashed 44 sixes that season.

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5 Players who came back hard after going unsold in IPL auction earlier

Going unsold in the auction isn't a great feeling. But to be able to bounce back demands a lot from a player.

3. Jonny Bairstow

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