IPL: 3 superstars who might go unsold next season

When Chris Gayle went unsold in the 2011 IPL auction, it was ironically a career-changing moment for him. His subsequent entry into the RCB side as an injury replacement was the starting point of a great legacy. However, not all players are quite as lucky as Gayle, as the brutal IPL auction often leaves popular players with a raw deal.

With 2021 reportedly set to have a mega auction, teams will be forced to undergo a transformation in all aspects except their core. In this process, some foreign stars may find themselves in the lurch as teams use different indicators at their disposal over the attachment that franchises develop with such players.

Here are the top 3 superstars who may go unsold in next year's IPL auction.

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#3 Dale Steyn (IPL 2020: RCB)

A mauling against KXIP spelt the end for Dale Steyn this season. [PC: iplt20.com]

One of the most successful international bowlers of the modern era, Dale Steyn has played for many different IPL franchises over his career. However, his trajectory has declined since 2015. Beset by injuries and with age catching up, Steyn appeared to defy it all in a couple of games in 2019, only to disappoint again this year.

The South African's three games in IPL 2020 yielded a solitary wicket. He conceded at a shocking 11.40 runs per over, as he was taken for runs in all three games. Most notably, Steyn was put under the pump by a KL Rahul masterclass, which relegated him to the bench for almost the entirety of the season.

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#2 Dwayne Bravo (IPL 2020: CSK)

A shadow of his all-round abilities, Bravo's T20 stocks have waned. [PC: iplt20.com]

Dwayne Bravo has been one of the IPL's enduring stars, along with the likes of Kieron Pollard and Chris Gayle. Turning out for the Mumbai Indians initially, he made an immediate impact upon switching over to the Chennai Super Kings, becoming a key cog in their wheel.

In this season, Bravo looked a shadow of his abilities. Though he has had injury concerns, which persisted this season, there has been an overall decline in the West Indian's X-factor. He took six wickets from six games, and when needed with the bat, he hardly showed game-changing ability.

Ultimately, Bravo found himself outside CSK's best XI, and may not feature for any franchise next season.

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#1 Glenn Maxwell (IPL 2020: KXIP)

A six from Maxwell could have taken the game to a Super Over - wasn't to be. [PC: iplt20.com]

IPL 2020 may well have been the last time that Glenn Maxwell is hot property in the league. Bought for an incredible INR 10.75 crore in the 2020 auction despite not playing in 2019 and putting in only meagre contributions the preceding year, the Aussie floundered for KXIP despite playing almost all matches.

Once the player who set the IPL alive in the UAE to earn the moniker the "Big Show", Maxwell failed to hit a single six in the 2020 IPL. With his last IPL fifty coming way back in 2016, the cumulative bounty that teams have spent on him has not yielded return.

Maxwell was pressed to bowl in many games in order to coax some all-round ability out of him, but he was unimpressive there too. He could face the ignominy that every player fears and go unsold in the 2021 IPL auction.