IPL 2020: 5 Players who went unsold last year and might find no bidders again in the auction

No matter how many T20 leagues keep coming in every other nation each year, Indian Premier League still remains most-watched cricket league in the world. The upcoming edition is going to be one heck of a blast with each team aiming to battle it out among each other to get hold of the coveted trophy.

As many as 332 cricketers will go under the hammer in the mega auction on December 19 in Kolkata. Earlier, 971 players (713 Indian and 258 overseas players) had registered for the auctions. Aiming to occupy the available 73 spots were 215 capped internationals, 754 uncapped and two players from Associate Nations.

The previous IPL auction was full of surprises. There were notable stars who went unsold in the auction and not even one franchise showed interest in them. However, it remains to be seen whether such players can get a second chance to prove themselves.

Here we put together a list of five prominent cricketers who might go unsold at the auctions this year:

Hashim Amla

It was really sad to see such a class player like Hashim Amla going unsold in the IPL auction. Amla was drafted in by the Kings XI Punjab in 2016 as a replacement for injured Shaun Marsh. Amla proved to be a real case for himself as a viable opening batsman.

The dashing played has scored 577 runs in 16 matches, which included 2 centuries and 3 half-centuries at an average of 44.38. South African legend was truly remarkable for Kings XI Punjab at top of the order but he remained unsold at the IPL 2018 and 2019 auction.

Despite being statistically very good in numbers in limited-overs cricket, none of the IPL franchises drafted him. The elegant batsman announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket with immediate effect this year.

Alex Hales

The English cricketer Alex Hales plied his trade for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2018. But he went unsold at the IPL 2019 auction. The 31-year-old batsman has played 6 games and has made an aggregate of 148 runs, which is pretty low considering his calibre.

The England opener who has been one of the most successful run-scorers for his nation in the shortest circuit was also part of the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2017. He did not inspire any takers in 2019 season.

Hales was dropped from England’s World Cup squad on the back of a second failed recreational drugs test and may fail to attract bids from any of the IPL franchises this time around. The capped international has set his base price at INR 1 crore for the upcoming auction.

Chris Woakes

The technically gifted bowling all-rounder made his IPL debut in 2017 for Kolkata Knight Riders. The English man made an instant impact with the ball and was one of the important players for the team. Chris Woakes thoroughly enjoyed his maiden outing in the lucrative Premier League, picking up 17 wickets in 13 games.

Woakes was then drafted in by Royal Challengers Bangalore for INR 7.4 crore and was one of the costliest picks in 2018. However, Chris Woakes had a disappointing season for Virat Kohli and Co and thereby, he was released ahead of the mega auction in 2019.

In the 2019 auction, the veteran saw no bids for himself. He had set his base price at INR 2 crore huge base price. To sum it up, national duties stopped him from getting a chance to once again play in the world’s premier tournament. Hence, the bidders might oversee him meaning that there might not be a distinct possibility of him playing for any IPL franchise.

It is worth mentioning here that Chris Woakes made a tremendous improvement in the white-ball cricket in the last one year. Woakes has set his base price at INR 1.5 crore for the upcoming auction.

Angelo Mathews

The experienced all-rounder has plied his trade for Kolkata Knight Riders, Pune Warriors India (now-defunct franchise) and Delhi Daredevils (now, Delhi Capitals). He was one of the most sought after all-rounders in the Premier League fraternity but his performances have been near misses.

Angelo Mathews went unsold in the IPL 2018 auctions and had a disappointing season in 2017 for Delhi Daredevils (now, Delhi Capitals). He featured for the team in just three matches and spent most of the time warming the bench.

Considering his current form, he might not inspire bidders in the upcoming auction. The chances in this year’s IPL auction are slim, considering the highest reserve price base price at INR 2 crore.

Sri Lanka understands that the 32-year-old cricketer has gone past his prime and the selectors overlooked him in limited-overs setup meaning that franchises would hesitate to splash the cash for him. Perhaps he could invite the bidders had he reduced his base price tag.

Kane Richardson

Richardson had played for Pune Warriors India (now-defunct franchise), Rajasthan Royals, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Having represented in three different IPL franchises in his career, he played only 14 IPL games in three seasons. At his base price of INR 1 crore, Kane Richardson failed to invite any bidder in 2019 auction.

The fast bowler has not fulfilled his potential yet in the big stage took six years to make his international debut for Australia. Nevertheless, he failed to cement his place in the Australian squad in any format. He was last seen donning the Australian jersey against England on June 27, 2018, in a one-off T20I game.

His career has been plagued with several injuries in the last few years. However, he made a stellar rebound in the BBL. The Melbourne Renegades bowler accounted for 24 scalps in 14 games with a decent economy rate of 7.75. He was one of the key players who helped Renegades clinch their maiden trophy.

It was because of his successful BBL season that helped him earn a spot in the national team squad for the limited-overs tour to India. All the same, he went unsold in IPL 2019 auction. The capped international set his base price at INR 1.5 crore for the upcoming auction.

~Written by Gurusai

Watch: Dane Vilas’ stunning scoop six in MSL 2019