IPL auction: Best unsold XI of players who did not find any takers

Uncapped players attracted huge bids, while many seasoned campaigners did not find any takers. We take a look at the best XI of players who remained unsold at the auction.

As has been the case over the years, the IPL auctions saw plenty of surprises as far as omissions and selections are concerned.

File picture of Brendon McCullum (SPORTZPICS for BCCI)

Uncapped players attracted huge bids, while many seasoned campaigners did not find any takers.

We take a look at the best XI of players who remained unsold at the auction.

Openers:

Brendon McCullum

The man who started the IPL in an emphatic manner, former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum did not find any team this season. McCullum has been a regular presence in the IPL and his presence will be felt in the tournament.

Alex Hales

The England opener has been one of the most prolific run-scorer for his country in the shortest format. He was part of the Mumbai Indians and SunRisers Hyderabad in the last 2 seasons, but unfortunately, he did not find any takers this season.

Top order:

Hashim Amla

The monk with the bat, South African legend was a consistent performer for Kings XI Punjab in the solitary season he played for them. However, despite his prolific numbers in limited overs cricket, none of the franchises snapped him up at the auctions.

Usman Khawaja

The Australian has been in sublime form in the recent past and has great numbers in the Big Bash League. However, he does not seem to evoke any interest in the IPL teams and hence, has gone without any team this year.

Middle order

Shaun Marsh

The seasoned campaigner from Australia set his base price at ₹2 crore and this could have worked against him at the auctions. He showed his class against Pakistan in the recently concluded limited overs series in UAE and has a great IPL record to flaunt. However, there were no takers for Marsh this season.

Corey Anderson

The burly New Zealand all-rounder has been a regular in the IPL, but has never looked settled in any of the teams he has played for. He made a comeback into the national side in the recent series against Pakistan and looked in fine touch, but this did not convince any of the franchises at the auction.

Luke Ronchi

The former Australian and New Zealand wicket-keeper has been quite a prolific run-scorer for the various franchises he has played for in the recent past. He is a clean striker of the ball and is a good player against spin, but the franchises did not look too enthused to snap him up.

Bowlers

Dale Steyn

The South African great made a great comeback to international cricket in the series against Australia and looked in great rhythm. It was widely expected that he would once again make a mark in IPL, but unfortunately, the franchises were not too convinced by the common notion.

Chris Jordan

The England all-rounder is a T20 specialist and hops around all over the world plying his trade. He has experienced the IPL, but despite all the talent and pedigree has not been able to set the stage on fire and hence, the franchises gave him a miss.

Adam Zampa

The diminutive leggie has been a regular for Australia in the shortest format and was mighty impressive with his control against India in the T20I series. He looked in good rhythm for the Rising Pune Supergiant, but has not made a compelling enough case for him for the franchises to snap him up.

James Pattinson

The Australian quick has had an injury-ridden career so far, but he is up and running in the domestic setup and has looked sharp on his return. He would have been a good pick for any franchise, but then, there were no bidders when his name was shouted out.