IPL 2022: 5 Prominent players who have not registered for mega auction

The 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League which is expected to commence in April is the most awaited T20 carnival across the world. This time it will be a 10-team competition with two new teams coming into the action. A mega auction is set to be held in February before the start of the League. The older teams were allowed to retain four players and the two new teams were allowed to draft three players in their squad.

BCCI has announced the list of the retained players from all of the franchises which included 27 names. The two new teams announced their draft picks on Saturday, 22^nd January 2022. The players who are neither retained nor picked through the draft by new teams will be on the auction table and the franchises will bid for them.

Before every IPL season, a few star players decide to opt out of the league for their own reasons. This season will also not witness some of the veteran IPL stars who have decided to not be a part of the cash-rich league. Some of these players could have sparked the bidding wars as the franchisees were expected to go berserk for having them in their respective teams. Let’s take a look at-

5 famous players who didn’t register for IPL 2022 mega auction

1. Ben Stokes

The star all-rounder all the way from England who has done wonders in the league will not play the upcoming IPL season. He was one of the most expensive players in the history of IPL. He was an integral part of the Rajasthan Royals squad between 2018 to 2021. He also represented Rising Pune Supergiant in the 2017 season.

He played 43 IPL games in which he has scored 920 runs at a strike rate of 134.5. He has scored two match-winning centuries and two half-centuries as well. He also has 28 wickets to his name in 37 innings in which he bowled. He scored over 300 runs and picked 10 wickets in the 2017 season playing for Rising Pune Supergiant.

He is considered the best all-rounder of the current lot and his international numbers define his importance for the English Team. He has played some quality knocks for his national team and also has bowled some amazing spells. He has been playing for England in all three formats for a long time now and he definitely needs to manage his workload.

2. Chris Gayle

The most celebrated Caribbean cricketer in India, Christopher Henry Gayle, is sadly not going to be a part of the Indian Premier League in 2022. He has given so many memories to cricket fans to cherish forever. He was an integral part of the league whether he played for Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore, or Punjab Kings.

He has many records in IPL and also has an orange cap from the tournament. In 142 IPL games, he has scored 4965 runs at an average of 39.72. His score of 175 is still the highest individual score in the history of the tournament. He is one of the best hitters of the cricket ball on the planet as he batted with a strike rate of 148.96 in the League.

Universe Boss has hit 357 sixes in the IPL which is the most by any batter in the league. He also holds the record of most centuries scored by any batter with six centuries to his name. He is the face and ambassador of T20 cricket.  He is an adopted son of Bangalore and has a huge fanbase in India. He is currently 42 years old and most probably, he has played his last game of IPL.

3. Jofra Archer

The aggressive and lethal pacer will not be seen in action in IPL 2022. He is still not 100 percent fit and still needs time to be fully fit to play cricket. His fitness was the main reason for him not being retained by the Rajasthan Royals. He has been on the sidelines for almost ten months due to elbow issues and his recovery is currently under process.

He has played three seasons for Rajasthan Royals between 2018 to 2020. In 35 IPL games that he has played, he has 46 dismissals to his name at a bowling average of 21.33. He has been lethal and unplayable in most of the matches in which he featured. He was first seen in the Big Bash League playing for Hobart Hurricanes.

He could have been a nice buy for any franchise at the auction as he brings the raw pace to the table that very bowlers have these days. He can even contribute with the bat in death overs and had been handy with the bat for Rajasthan Royals in a few games.

4. Mitchell Starc

Mitchell Starc hinted to everyone that he can be part of the IPL 2022 auction but he has made himself available for the tournament. He last played an IPL game a long way back in 2015 when he played for Royal Challengers Bangalore. He was given a contract by Kolkata Knight Riders in 2018 but injury again came his way and he got out from the tournament.

He has played two seasons in IPL, both for RCB. He has appeared in 27 IPL games and has picked 34 wickets at an average of 20.38. He has also been economic with the ball and has bowled with an impressive economy rate of 7.17. He has been an important player for Australia over the years in all three formats.

Mitchell Starc’s career has always been full of injuries that cost him his unavailability in many games. He could have returned to the league after seven years but he will have to wait a little more to be a part of the cash-rich league again.  The fast bowler was an essential member of the Australian team which thrashed the Englishmen in the Ashes 2021-22.

5. Sam Curran

The young and flamboyant all-rounder will not play the 2022 edition of IPL. He was one of the most unpredictable names who was not included in the auction list. He has tasted success playing in the Indian Premier League with his talent. He started his IPL career for Punjab Kings in the 2019 season of IPL. Later he was picked by Chennai Super Kings in 2020.

Sam Curran has played 32 IPL games and has taken 32 wickets in them and has given some match-winning performances for Chennai Super Kings and was a valuable player for them. He has had some good performances with the bat too. He has also scored two fifties in the league and has a total of 337 runs in 23 innings.

Chennai Super Kings used him as a floater in their batting line-up and Sam Curran grabbed the chances with both of his hands. He can bowl with the new ball and can even open the batting. Every team needs this type of player who can give balance to the team and he could have been a nice deal for any of the 10 franchises. The 23-year old has a long way to go in his career.

Source: ESPNCricinfo