IPL 2018: 5 unsold all-rounders who may return as injury replacements

IPL auction is getting more and more unpredictable over the years. It has been an event which comes as a blessing for some little-known players who sign multi-crore deals and become stars overnight. While there are some players who are bought cheaply even after performing consistently at the highest level.

There is another bunch of unfortunate players who fail to find a bidder for themselves and there may be multiple reasons for it. It's the mistake of the players themselves in most cases who set their base price too high while there are some others who just could not fit into the scheme of things for the teams.

Here are 5 such unfortunate players that couldn't find a bidder in the auction this year but may look to return to the league as a replacement for an injured player.

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#5 Moises Henriques

Moises Henriques, the Australian player is one of the best T20 all-rounders from Down Under. Henriques was a mainstay in the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad in the previous few seasons and played a crucial role in them finishing in the top half of the points table in the previous two IPL seasons.

Henriques first came to the limelight in the 2015 season when he scored 287 runs in 9 matches at an average of 41.00 and a strike rate of 136.01 and took 11 wickets in as many matches at an impressive economy of 6.32.

Overall in the IPL he has scored 969 runs in 57 IPL matches at an average of 28.50 and has taken 38 wickets at an economy of 8.38.

Looking over his IPL performances, Henriques definitely is a potent player who is capable of winning matches both with the bat and the ball. It was his flop performance in the Big Bash League earlier this year that may have kept away the franchises bidding for him.

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#4 David Willey

David Willey, the English bowling all-rounder has been a regular in Englands' limited-overs squad in the recent years. Willey who is a capable fast bowler and also a destructive batsman who bats in the lower middle order.

He has been effective with the ball in T20 internationals for England. In 20 T20 internationals, he has taken 24 wickets at an economy of 8.60. He has not been that effective with the bat in internationals mainly due to batting in the lower middle order.

Overall in T20s, he has scored 2097 runs in 147 matches at a strike rate of 142.55 and has taken 143 wickets at an economy of 7.82. Willey can be a potent pick for teams who may be looking for a player who can add firepower to the lower middle order.

#3 Thisara Perera

Thisara Perera, the fast bowling all-rounder from Sri Lanka has been one of the most effective players in the limited over formats over the years. Perera has not played many matches in the IPL but carries enough T20 experience.

Perera, who was known for his bowling ability, is slowly losing his shine as a bowler but has become doubly effective with the bat. Batting in the middle order, he regularly contributes runs and can often be seen finishing matches for his team.

Playing in 72 T20 internationals for Sri Lanka, Perera has scored 959 runs at a fierce strike rate of 152.46 and has taken 50 wickets at an economy of 9.04. Overseeing his batting performances in the recent times, he may form a potent replacement option for teams looking for a finisher who can bowl.

#2 Dwayne Smith

Dwayne Smith, the West Indies all-rounder, has an impressive track record in the IPL. Although he has been out of the international arena for close to three years, Smith has fared well in the T20 leagues around the globe.

Smith is a destructive opener and is a medium pace bowler who proves to be handy at times. In the 2012 IPL season, he was inducted in the Mumbai Indians squad as a replacement for injured Mitchell Johnson and left a lasting impression after playing a match-winning knock against Chennai Super Kings.

Following his match-winning performances at Mumbai Indians, Smith was bought by Chennai Super Kings in the 2014 season and proved to be a vital member of the squad. He scored 566 runs in 16 innings and finished second on the list of highest runs scorers in the season.

Overall in the IPL, Smith has scored 2103 runs playing in 76 matches at an average of 29.61 and a strike rate of 134.20.

#1 James Faulkner

James Faulkner, the Australian all-rounder, is one of the best all-rounders in the world, famous for winning matches both with the ball and the bat. He was a crucial member of the Rajasthan Royals squad in the earlier seasons but has gone ineffective in the previous three IPL seasons, failing in both the departments.

Faulkner took three wickets in the final of the World Cup 2015 and was awarded Man of the Match award for his match-winning bowling performance that restricted New Zealand to a below par total of 183.

Faulkner has always troubled the batsmen with his slower deliveries which are hard to pick. His best IPL season came in 2013 when he took 28 wickets in 16 matches at an economy of 6.75.

Overall in the IPL, he has taken 59 wickets in 60 matches and has scored 527 runs. Faulkner may be a good pick for teams who may be looking for a bowler who can score some runs batting in the lower order.