IPL 2019: 4 unsold players who proved to be invaluable in the 2019 Bangladesh Premier League

The sixth season of the Bangladesh Premier League concluded with the Comilla Victorians defeating the Dhaka Dynamites to emerge as the champions. In the final, Comilla posted a mammoth total of 199/3 in 20 overs, which the Dynamites failed to chase, managing just 182/9.

Comilla batsman Tamim Iqbal knocked a humongous 141* from 61 balls and repaid the management's trust in him. But like Tamim, many other talented players also proved to be indispensable for their respective teams.

The Indian Premier League, the neighboring T20 tournament, has catapulted some players to stardom over the past decade. Now, the BPL is promising to do the same.

That said, some of the unsold players in the IPL 2019 auction were exceptional in the 2019 edition of the BPL. This shows the opportunities that abound in BPL for talented T20 players to express their skills to the world.

The IPL is a very long and uncertain event, and many of the players become unavailable midway through the tournament due to injuries or national commitments. These top performers might possibly find their place in any of the IPL teams this year, considering their brilliance in the just concluded BPL season:

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#4 Laurie Evans

Laurie Evans batting in Vitality Blast Final

Laurie Evans found no buyers at the IPL 12 auction, despite having a base price of just 40 lakh (INR). The six-foot right-handed batsman, who can smash the ball virtually all over the park, was in sparkling form during the Afghanistan Premier League, but still failed to attract a buyer in IPL.

That couldn't stop Evans though, as he proceeded to steal the show in the Bangladesh Premier League. Rajshahi Kings roped him in ahead of BPL 2019, ad he proved to the selectors that they had made a sound choice.

Evans notched up 339 runs in 11 matches and finished as the top run-getter for for the Kings. He also scored a century for his team.

#3 Alex Hales

Alex Hales during a training session

Much like Laurie Evans, another Englishman Alex Hales found no buyer in the 2019 IPL auction. Hales even has some IPL experience, having played for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2018 edition of IPL.

He showed a slight glimmer of promise but the franchise decided to release him anyway. None of the teams attempted to bid for him at the auction, with his base price being 1.5 crore (INR).

Hales is an essential member of the England cricket team. That's probably why he went unsold; all the IPL teams would have wanted a player to compete in the whole tournament instead of someone who would likely depart midway due to national commitments.

Nevertheless, Hales proved his value even with his limited appearances in the BPL. He played just eight matches for Rangpur Riders but scored 304 runs at an average of 43.43 and a strike rate of 167.03.

Hales also scored a century for his team, again just like Evans.

#2 Mushfiqur Rahim

Mushfiqur Rahim

Former Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim had a base price of just 50 lakh (INR) in the auction ahead of IPL 12. Many expected a team like Royal Challengers Bangalore to choose him as they lacked an overseas wicketkeeper-batsman.

But the Bangalore-based franchise, along with all the others, showed virtually zero interest when his name popped up. Mushfiqur went unsold in the auction, much to the disappointment of Bangladesh fans. Nonetheless, he participated in BPL 6 and had a fruitful season.

He was the top run-getter for his team Chittagong Vikings and ended up as the top third highest run-scorer in the whole tournament. The wicket-keeper batsman scored 426 runs in 13 innings at an average of 35.50 and a strike rate of 139.21.

As of now, all the IPL teams look loaded with players. Mushfiqur would get an opportunity only if a need arises later in the tournament, but he has proved his worth as a valuable T20 batsman in the subcontinent conditions.

#1 Rilee Rossouw

Rossouw during Kent v Hampshire: Royal London One-Day Cup Final

Rilee Rossouw, with a base price of 1 crore (INR), failed to attract a buyer in the auction ahead of IPL 2019. The Proteas batsman, however, managed to regale audiences in the Bangladesh Premier League with his swashbuckling play.

Rossouw got an opportunity to play for Rangpur Riders and he made the most of it. He ended his BPL season on a high, with a string of earth-shattering performances.

The left-handed batsman was the top run scorer in the tournament. He racked up 558 runs in 13 innings at an astounding average of 69.75 and a brilliant strike rate of 150.00.

Rossouw smashed a century against Chittagong Vikings, and was consistently the best player in the league. The talented South African player may or may not get an IPL 12 contract, but he is in some serious form and has the class to come in as a handy replacement option.

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