Bhubaneswar: The IPL 2022 saw some sky-rocketing bids as well as some unknown entities walking away with lucrative purses. A total of 204 players were sold and Rs 551.70 crore was spent by the 10 franchises. However, there were some big names that found no takers. Here are some of the very successful cricketers who did not find any takers.
Suresh Raina (Base price Rs 2 crore)
He is one of the most successful batsmen in the IPL and is the fourth highest run-getter in the tournament after Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma. Rains has played 205 matches and scored 5,528 runs at an average of 32.51 with a strike rate of over 130 which is better than the three big names mentioned above. At 35 years, one can certainly say that he still has some cricket left in him. Some have commented that his base price was too high. However, others in the know of things have stated that Raina’s leaving the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) hotel in a huff in Abu Dhabi did not go down well with men who matter in the IPL. Also the 2021 season was pathetic for Raina considering the standards he has set for himself. He scored just 160 runs in 12 matches at a paltry average of 17.77.
Steve Smith (Base price Rs 2 crore):
The Australian run-machine surprisingly found no takers in the IPL auction 2022. He had a mixed tournament in 2021 while playing for Delhi Capitals. Smith scored 152 runs in eight matches at an average of 25.33 and a strike rate of 112.59. His overall experience could have come in handy for some of the teams but no one decided to take a punt on him.
Shakib Al Hasan (Base price Rs 2 crore)
In spite of occupying the top spot in ICC ODI rankings for all-rounders and being second in T20I rankings, the Bangladeshi strangely did not find any takers. Shakib is handy with both bat and ball and is also good in the field. So his omission comes as a real surprise. He had a poor 2021 season (47 runs from 8 matches and just 4 wickets) though, but then every player is bound to have a lean season.
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Adil Rashid (Base price Rs 2 crore)
England’s leg-spinner is one of the finest bowlers in the shortest format of the game. Yet Adil could not get a place in any of the franchises as no one was willing to bid for him. He could have been handy in the some of the slow pitches on which games are going to played.
Aaron Finch (Base price Rs 1.50 crore)
In spite of being a power-hitter Australia’s white ball captain failed to find a franchise this time around. It was probably in the cards keeping in mind that he went unsold in the 2021 auction. Finch had a decent 2020 – 268 runs in 12 games. However, that did not impress the team managements.
Eoin Morgan (Base price Rs 1.50 crore)
England’s white ball captain was left unsold after the end of the two-day auction Sunday. It came as a surprise to many, as Morgan in spite of having a poor season with the bat had guided the Kolkata Knight Riders to the 2021 final. He had a poor season with the bat, but then everyone in the game is bound to have one bad season or the other. The left-hander scored just 133 runs in 17 matches at an average of 11.08. His struggles in 2021 probably went a long way in teams deciding against purchasing him despite his obvious leadership skills.
Chris Lynn (Base price of Rs 1.50 crore)
One of the most brutal hitters to have emerged from Australia, Lynn has failed to replicate his BBL exploits in the IPL. He was picked up by Mumbai Indians for his base price of Rs 2 crore ahead of IPL 2021 season but got to play just one match. So he could have been a safe bet for any of the franchises. However, Lynn being prone to injury probably went against him.