IPL 2023: 3 players who were not expected to find buyers at the auction but were sold

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is known for its high-stakes auctions, where teams bid for the best players to build their squad. Three of the most expensive players in the tournament's history — Sam Curran (Rs 18.5 crore), Cameron Green (Rs 17.5 crore) and Ben Stokes (Rs 16.25 crore) — were sold in last month's auction for IPL 2023.

However, not every player is lucky enough to find a team. In this article, we take a look at three players who were very likely to go unsold ahead of the auction but eventually found buyers.

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1. Litton Das

Bangladesh v Pakistan - Tri-Series: 6th T20

Litton Das is undoubtedly a talented cricketer, but there were some concerns as to whether he could maintain that level of performance in a high-pressure tournament like the IPL. This is particularly true given that the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) — who bought him at his base price of Rs 50 lakh — already have R Gurbaz as a wicketkeeper. It is possible that the team could have benefited from a player with more experience competing for that spot.

Additionally, it wasn't until Litton's impressive performance against India in the T20 World Cup that he became a sought-after player at the auction. Without that performance, it is possible that he might have gone unsold yet again. While Litton Das has the potential to be a great player, it will be interesting to see if he can live up to that potential in a tournament as challenging as the IPL.

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2. Ajinkya Rahane

India Nets Session

Ajinkya Rahane, the former Indian Test vice-captain, has been a consistent performer in the IPL over the years, representing teams like the Rajasthan Royals and the Delhi Capitals. However, he has struggled with form in recent years and was not in high demand at the auction.

Rahane's average in the last IPL season was only 27 and he couldn't contribute much for the KKR. He has also not played much T20 cricket in the last year. Paying attention to his recent form and age, these factors may have affected his value in the auction, however, he was sold to the Chennai Super Kings at his base price of Rs 50 lakh.

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3. Kyle Jamieson

Surrey CCC v Middlesex - Vitality T20 Blast

The New Zealand fast bowler was not considered a hot prospect, but he was eventually picked up by the Chennai Super Kings for his base price of Rs 1 crore. Jamieson is a lanky fast bowler who can generate good pace and bounce. He played poorly for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2021, taking just nine wickets in as many matches with an economy of 9.60 and an average of 29.88.

Due to his injury issues over the past few months, he was not in last year's T20 World Cup squad for New Zealand as a break to improve his form and to be able to serve the team better. Many experts believed that he would go unsold, but CSK decided to gamble on the 28-year-old, who was sold for a mouth-watering price of Rs 15 crore in the IPL 2021 auction.

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Conclusion:

The IPL auction is always full of surprises and this year was no different. It turned out to be a highly competitive and unpredictable event, and it was difficult to predict who could have gone unsold. However, based on recent performances and the team's current needs, Litton Das, Ajinkay Rahane, and Kyle Jamieson were likely to go unsold but still managed to find their places.