IPL 2018: 5 unsold overseas players who would be missed

The Indian Premier League has managed to captivate and unite the fans all over the world, in a way that was deemed impossible before. Several players have managed to mark their presence in the leading T20 tournament through scintillating displays. With the tournament heading towards its eleventh edition, several players would be on the edge of their seats to showcase their talent in one of the biggest platforms possible.

However, there is a bunch of talented players who won't be able to stamp their authority this year as a result of not attracting any buyers in the auction. The players fell prey to budget limitations and team strategy which hampered their chance to catch a plane to India for the mega event.

With only a week left for the event to begin, let's have a look at five such players who will be missed by the fans throughout the tournament.

#5 Travis Head

Storming into the auction with a base price of INR 1.5 Crore, the Australian failed to gather any bids, with his former side Royal Challengers Bangalore looking for other options. Head was part of the 3-time IPL finalists and was given sporadic chances which the 24-year-old managed to utilise over his course of time with the team.

Moreover, Head managed to lead the Adelaide Strikers to their maiden Big Bash League title wherein he managed to contribute immensely, by amassing 374 runs with a stellar strike rate of 134. Head has also added off-spin to his arsenal which can enable him to chip in with some overs and thus will be a huge miss in IPL 2018.

#4 Martin Guptill

Guptill's exploits in the T20 format would have been a huge asset for the IPL franchises

Despite being one of the most clinical players in the shortest format of the game, Martin Guptill has had a hard time convincing the IPL franchises. The destructive New Zealand opener underwent short stints with Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab, most of which was spent on the sidelines.

Despite Guptill's well-known adversity to spin and not-so-impressive IPL record, the player would have been a perfect backup opener pricing at just INR 50 Lakhs.

The 31-year-old made a huge statement after failing to attract any bidders, by scoring the fastest ton by a Kiwi batsman. The opener's clean hitting, the ability to dominate a powerplay and a liking for mammoth innings, will be sorely missed by the fans all over the world.

#3 Morne Morkel

Morkel played IPL for three different sides with Rajasthan Royals being the first

The South African, who announced his international retirement, was not picked by any of the IPL franchises at this year's auction. His former side Kolkata Knight Riders opted for a strategy of focusing on death bowlers which became more evident when they picked Tom Curran as a replacement for the injured Mitchell Starc.

Morkel has proved that he belongs in the IPL by generating bounce which has guided his side through several powerplays. The tall pacer has managed to notch up 77 wickets over 70 matches in the IPL, which includes a Purple Cap for his heroics in IPL 2012 for Delhi Daredevils, who managed to top the table in that edition.

The pacer, who withdrew from the competition last year, owing to injury, will not be a part this season as well despite age being on his side. Morkel's ability to extract bounce by hitting the deck hard and his ability to change the game on his day, are only a couple out of the several reasons why the player will be hugely missed in the forthcoming extravaganza.

#2 Joe Root

Joe Root is yet to play an IPL game in his career

With the absence of one member of the "Fab-4" in the form of Steve Smith, the IPL will be devoid of the England Test captain as well. Joe Root, who came into the IPL auction with a base price of INR 1.5 crore, did not attract any bids and stayed unsold over the three rounds.

Despite having a pretty decent T20I record and playing a huge role in England's success in the 2016 World T20 held in India, the middle-order batsman was snubbed by the IPL franchises.

The batsman admitted feeling disappointed having gone unsold in the auction. It is a shame that a technically gifted batsman will not be a part of the tournament as the event could have used some class amidst all the hard-hitting that is about to steal the limelight.

#1 Hashim Amla

Amla managed to drop a few jaws with his performances in the IPL

The snub of the South African genius was one of the biggest shocks that came out of the auction in 2018. Hashim Amla, who managed to score 2 IPL centuries and conquer the tournament itself, was ignored at the auction with his former franchise Kings XI Punjab, opting to go for more firepower at the top with the purchase of Chris Gayle, KL Rahul and Aaron Finch.

The right-handed batsman, who has captivated all with his consistency, came into the tournament after replacing Shaun Marsh in 2016. But, with 577 runs under his belt after 16 matches, the South African proved his detractors wrong.

Amla's cool and calm demeanour along with his traditional style of play would be a huge miss for the fans as they head into the mega event starting from April 7.