IPL: 10 star players that might not feature again

The IPL Auction 2019 saw some of the biggest names in the T20 cricket find no bidders at the big stage. The beauty of the IPL is that the current form of a player is considered much more important than his reputation.

Hence, some of the big names who have been proven match-winners in the past but have retired from international cricket now are not the hottest properties at the auction whereas rookie players can fetch big bucks after a couple of sparkling performances.

It might be the end of the road for these proven match-winners as the franchises may not be interested in picking them again since most of these are in their late thirties.

In this article, we will take a look at 10 players who may never be seen in the IPL again.

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#10 Brendon McCullum

Brendon McCullum

The former Blackcaps opener was a notable player to go unsold at the auction after a terrible season with the RCB in 2018. McCullum's axing sent a message that his IPL career might be over and the franchises may not be interested to pick him anymore.

He had set the stage on the fire in the very first match of the IPL with a blitzkrieg blitzing 158 back in 2008. He has played for the Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Lions, and the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Today, at 37 years of age, he may not make another comeback in the IPL.

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#9 Shaun Marsh

Shaun Marsh

We all remember Shaun Marsh in the IPL as the first Orange Cap-winner in 2008 when he amassed 616 runs for the Kings XI Punjab. Since then, he was a consistent performer for the Punjab franchise for the next decade.

He was unfairly left out in 2018 despite having performances behind his back. Marsh currently is without an IPL contract and at the age of 35 might not be a bright prospect for any other IPL franchise given his increasing recognition as a longer form cricketer.

#8 Dwayne Smith

Dwayne Smith

The Barbados all-rounder has been an underrated figure in the IPL for the various teams he has played. Smith played a crucial role for the Mumbai Indians back in 2013 when they won the IPL for the first time.

He fared reasonably well when he was with the Super Kings in 2014 and 2015 before his form faded away and he retired from international cricket. Today, Smith does not stand a chance of an IPL comeback.

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#7 George Bailey

After spending few seasons for the CSK without getting chances, George Bailey attracted a bid from the Kings XI Punjab in 2014 and was appointed their captain. Under his leadership, Punjab was hot and cold, narrowly missing out on the title berth in 2014.

Bailey came back to represent the Rising Pune Super Giant in 2017 but did not make much impact. Today, he is out of the Australian team and his chances of playing the IPL again seem too narrow.

#6 Ashok Dinda

Ashok Dinda was a popular figure in the IPL for several years. He has represented for the Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and both the Pune franchises.

He death-bowling skills were below-par which led to his downfall. Several teams trusted Dinda since he was an experienced first-class cricketer but Dinda never really performed up to the mark. Rightfully, he is discarded and is not an attractive prospect anymore.

#5 Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara, being a branded test player, was always going to find it difficult to make his mark in the IPL. Unlike others, he lacked the power to strike the ball and the range to play innovative shots.

Some franchises like the KKR, RCB, and KXIP had shown faith in him hoping that he would play the sheet anchor role while the others bat around him. Unfortunately, Pujara's strike rate was not good enough even for that and he was left out. With several domestic players cropping up, Pujara does not stand a chance to get an IPL contract now.

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#4 Darren Sammy

Darren Sammy

The flamboyant West Indian all-rounder has been a gigantic figure in T20 cricket. Sammy has played almost every known T20 league and has won two ICC WT20 title for the West Indies.

In the IPL he has been in the dugouts of the SRH, RCB and the KXIP. Unfortunately, Sammy never got a fair chance to showcase his skills in the IPL. Today, being in the mid-thirties, lacking the prowess he was once known for, he is not a top contender to bag an IPL contract.

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#3 Morne Morkel

The tall, lanky, hit-the-deck seamer was the Purple Cap-winner for Delhi in 2012. Morne Morkel with his height and the ability to extract bounce has always been a threatening quick in any format.

Morkel played for the Kolkata Knight Riders for years but that was the last we saw of him in the IPL. He has retired from international cricket and went unsold at the 2019 Auction. This sums up the fact that his IPL career might be over and we may not see more of him.

#2 Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan

Once regarded as the brightest young talent India had produced, Irfan has come a long way to being called an automatic discard. The southpaw has represented the Kings XI Punjab, Delhi Daredevils, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rising Pune Supergiant and Gujarat Lions in the league.

He lost his way briefly due to recurring injuries and never got the bowling rhythm back as his batting failed to keep up with the format. Irfan has hardly any chance of playing international cricket again and in the IPL too his days seem to be over.

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#1 Dale Steyn

Dale Steyn

Dale Steyn has been a very threatening bowler in the IPL. At his best, Steyn has breathed fire and made life difficult for the batsmen. However, in recent times, Steyn has missed most of the international cricket as well as the IPL due to injuries.

Steyn last played an IPL game for the Gujarat Lions in 2016. Even after his strong national comeback, he went unsold at the 2019 Auction. The fact that other rookie South African pacers were picked over Steyn clearly shows that his IPL days might be behind him.