5 Indian cricketers who might be taking part in their last IPL Auction

The year 2019 is a very significant one for the cricket fraternity as the fans get to witness two blockbusters, that is, the Indian Premier League and ICC World Cup. While the preparations for ICC World Cup are going on at a moderate speed, the IPL fever has already begun due to the trade window and auction.

The trade window concluded on November 15 while the IPL 2019 Auction is scheduled for December 18 at Jaipur. All the 8 teams have undergone major changes and have revamped their squad.

Even the costliest buys in the past IPL auctions which include the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Glenn Maxwell, Gautam Gambhir and Brendon McCullum have been released by their respective franchises.

While some emerging cricketers like Qais Ahmad, Shimron Hetmyer can be expected to be bought for big bucks, some prominent cricketers like Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir can be expected to be bought at their base prices or go unsold.

On that note, we take a look at the Indian cricketers who might be taking part in their last IPL Auction.

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#5 Wriddhiman Saha

Wriddhiman Saha

Wriddhiman Saha, India's most trusted man behind the stumps after Mahendra Singh Dhoni might find it difficult to find a franchise next season. Sunrisers Hyderabad acquired Saha for 5 crores after an intense bidding war between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders in the last auction.

However, he did not do justice to his price tag as he scored a paltry 122 runs from 11 matches with a strike-rate of 119.60. In spite of being promoted at the top of the order, he averaged just a little more than 15 and was released by the franchise in the trade window.

With Saha injured currently and most teams having reliable wicket-keepers in their ranks, Saha could go unsold and might probably take part in his last IPL auction.

#4 Naman Ojha

Naman Ojha

Naman Ojha's value as a cricketer has dropped significantly in the recent past owing to his bad run of form. The wicket-keeper batsman from Madhya Pradesh has found it hard to regain his form and has failed to impress the selectors.

He was bought for a decent amount of 1.40 crore by Delhi Daredevils. But he got only a single game to prove his worth and he failed miserably as he scored just a single run and dropped catches as well. As a result, he was let go by Delhi Daredevils in the trade window.

Also, he has not been performing well in domestic cricket and has also been dropped from the India A squad where he was a prominent figure in the past. Added to his dismay, Naman Ojha is a player who cannot rotate the strike consistently.

With neither age nor form on his side, Naman Ojha might be a part of the auction for the last time.

#3 Vinay Kumar

Vinay Kumar

Vinay Kumar was one of the biggest flops in the eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League. The veteran bowler struggled to find his line and lengths and was hammered away for runs.

After having been roped in by Kolkata Knight Riders at his base price of 1 crore, a lot was expected from him owing to his experience at the international level and his wicket-taking abilities. But, it was not to be as he conceded 65 runs from just 2 matches at an economy rate of 16.95.

His yorkers and slower balls were far from effective and he was one of the weakest links in KKR's bowling department. Though he has established himself as one of the stalwarts in the domestic circuit, he has failed to make it count at the Indian Premier League.

With Vinay Kumar already 34 and teams adopting a relatively younger squad, he might not fit into any of the franchises and might be a part of the auction for the very last time.

#2 Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh, India's 2011 World Cup hero was released by Kings XI Punjab ahead of the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League. The southpaw managed a paltry score of just 65 runs from 8 matches with a high score of 20. Nothing has been going on the right path for Yuvraj as he has not been on the selectors' radar for ICC World Cup 2019.

He has failed to live up to the expectations and his abilities of big-hitting have seemingly faded away. Also, he has not been performing consistently in the domestic circuit as well and is in the twilight of his career.

The seasoned campaigner who would turn 37 by the time the next IPL starts, might not be able to find a franchise again.

#1 Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir, the costliest buy of 2011 IPL auction was released by Delhi Daredevils ahead of IPL Auction 2019. The fourth leading run-scorer in the history of IPL failed to make a mark during his second stint with Delhi Daredevils last season.

Out of the 6 matches, he played last season, he scored just 85 runs at a poor average of 17 and strike-rate of 96.59. Delhi Daredevils found an able replacement in Prithvi Shaw last season and Gambhir was considered as surplus to their requirements. The southpaw also stepped down from captaincy as the team went through a rough run under him.

The former Delhi captain is currently down with a shoulder niggle. With Gambhir no longer effective in his captaincy, he could be omitted by the franchises in the auction and might find himself going unsold. As a result, he might be a part of the auction for the final time.