IPL 2018: Best Unsold XI 

The first step towards winning the IPL is to get your team combination right. In the process of building their teams, all franchises have a clear cut plan as to which players they will be bidding for at the auction.

A number of big names go unsold every year and it is not in any way a reflection of their potential as cricketers. It is just that they don't fit into the scheme of things that a franchise has planned for their teams.

A total of 409 players went unsold at the IPL Players Auction 2018 in Bengaluru. Here's the best unsold XI, formed keeping in mind the four foreign players rule. They sure do look strong enough to win the title, don't they?!

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Openers:

Unmukt Chand

After leading India to victory in the Under-19 world cup (2012), great things were expected of Unmukt Chand. He hasn't really lived up to his potential in the 20 over format of the game which is probably why he hasn't attracted interest from any of the franchises. He has been in good form of late. He showed immense resilience to score a century with a broken jaw in the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Martin Guptill

Guptill has represented the Mumbai Indians and the Kings XI Punjab in previous seasons of the IPL. He is one of the finest batsmen in the 20 over format of the game but is very inconsistent and franchises would rather invest on consistent performers. He smashed a fantastic century against Australia earlier this year and is in great nick.

Middle order:

Joe Root

At number three, Joe Root lends much-needed stability to the side. He is a fine batsman and likes to lead from the front. Joe Root is extremely unfortunate to miss out on bagging an IPL contract this year. He is on the same level as the likes of Virat Kohli and Steve Smith. The last T20I he played was in September 2017 in which he scored a paltry 17 of 19 balls. Inadequate game time could be the reason for the snubbing he got at the auction.

Eoin Morgan (C)

Eoin Morgan is the captain of the England Cricket Team in ODIs and T20Is. He was recently chosen to be the captain of World XI for the fundraiser match against West Indies later this year. He is an exceptional stroke maker and can take the game away from the opposition single-handedly. He is very unlucky to be missing out this year.

CM Gautam (WK)

CM Gautam has represented the Delhi Daredevils, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians in the past. He has been one of the most consistent batsmen for Karnataka in the domestic circuit. Though he's not the biggest hitter going around, Gautam is very reliable behind the wickets. His recent average of 17 in T20s is probably why he wasn't picked at the auction.

All-Rounders:

James Faulkner

James Faulkner is a death over specialist. He has an excellent yorker and his back of the hand slower ball deceives even the best of batsmen. He has taken Australia home from a situation of no hope to victory many a time, with both bat and ball. On his day, he can smash the ball to any part of the ground. He had a very poor season representing the Melbourne Stars in the BBL early this year and that is probably why he isn't playing IPL 2018.

Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan is an excellent Indian all-rounder who might have passed his prime. He is a world-class swing bowler and can cause problems for the batsmen when the field restrictions are in place. He has a respectable strike rate of 124 in T20s and would be an asset to any team. He played only one game for the Gujarat Lions in IPL 2017 and hasn't played a T20 match since. This could be a reason as to why he didn't find a taker in the auction.

Spinners:

Iqbal Abdulla

This left-arm spinner has played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajasthan Royals and the Kolkata Knight Riders in the past. After taking 16 wickets for KKR in IPL 2011, things have gone downhill for Iqbal. He hasn't been getting as much game time and his figures have dropped. He is still a very good spinner and can pick up crucial wickets in the middle overs.

Parveez Rasool

This spinner was the first ever Kashmiri to represent India. He is a very handy cricketer. Rasool is adept at restricting the batsmen and not letting them get away. His four economical overs are worth their weight in gold. The fact that he hasn't played a lot of T20 cricket off late might have made the franchises sceptical of his value.

Fast-Bowlers:

Sreenath Aravind

45 wickets at a bowling average of 23 is excellent but Sreenath Aravind is unlucky to be ending up unsold. This left-arm quick bowler has been playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the past few editions of the tournament and has taken wickets at crucial junctions. He announced his retirement from domestic cricket recently. Age could be a factor that affected Aravind's cause at the auction.

Ishant Sharma

At his best, Ishant Sharma can be extremely difficult to face. No batsman would relish the prospect of facing a ball coming down at him from the outstretched hand of a man who is 6'4'', at 140kmph. Coming in as a replacement for an injured Murali Vijay in IPL 2017, Ishant Sharma played six matches in the tournament and finished wicketless. He has only himself to blame for being snubbed at the auction.