With all the talk around the upcoming IPL 2022 mega auction, best players, top buys, etc, this mega auction would also witness a lot of IPL veterans bagging some deals, while some may just go unsold.
So today, we'll discuss five such players who have a high probability of going unsold in this mega auction.
Nathan Lyon (Australia)
Nathan Lyon in the IPL? Yes. The Australian spinner has finally chosen to try the IPL and he does have a good case of being sold too. However, the reason he makes this list is the unrealistic base price he has set for himself.
Lyon is perhaps Australia's greatest spinner post the Shane Warne era but with his age, his base price of 1.5cr, and no experience in the IPL would be too much for a franchise to bet on. Lyon has above-par numbers in India as well but we have also seen the best struggle in the best T20 league of the world. We feel he won't find time but you never know.
Imran Tahir (South Africa)
The Proteas has been the best in the business for an elongated span but every cricket fan is in awe of him especially due to his hunger to be the best.
Be it his wicket celebration or his efforts in the field, Tahir has always been phenomenal when it is about giving everything you can. But what could work against him this season is his age and the fact that mega auctions are known for teams going for long-term buys, we are afraid that we might not see Tahir in the upcoming season of the IPL. What do you think?
Tom Curran (England)
While Chennai Super Kings' Sam Curran prioritized County Cricket and his fitness over the IPL, his brother Tom Curran will also have problems in finding a team it seems.
Curran is the youngest player on this list but that's mostly because he still hasn't been able to impact as his brother did. He hasn't bowled well and his numbers are his biggest concern. Enough reasons already for him to miss out.
Tom was also unlucky because he didn't get a good run of games and with his numbers, it seems that he was a player who needed a direction to settle in the IPL. Unfortunately, he wasn't at the level he was expected to form and that is what will make it arduous for him to find any team in the auction.
Ishant Sharma (India)
Ishant has been one of India's prominent Test bowlers in recent years and it's a fact that he knows it very well. His white-ball career hasn't been as extensive as his Test career but Sharma still values him at a base price of 1.5cr in the upcoming mega auction.
Ishant Sharma has had constant injuries and most of the time it has been the IPL where the damage has been done. An injury midway in the competition never ends well and in Sharma's case, there have already been multiple instances.
For a player who picked only 1 wicket in only three IPL 2021 games, he got to feature, it is surely not ideal. Which team would go for him?
Sam Billings (England)
Just like his fellow Englishman in the list, Billings didn't have ample chances to feature for Chennai Super Kings when he represented them.
Most of the time if he was seen on the field, it was as a substitute and you wouldn't want to be a substitute in the IPL where every match counts. Billings is a good batsman but is yet to show a long-term trait that the franchises would bid for. He did play some memorable innings with the bat with Chennai, we still feel things won't be easy for him and with a base price of 2cr, Sam Billings in IPL 2022 could be unlikely.
Let us know your thoughts. Stay tuned with Cricwizz for more updates.
Cover Credits: SydneySixers
