IPL Auction 2018: Unsold XI

Spinners

There are very few things that I struggle to comprehend in this world, apart from String Theory of course, but one of them is definitely how the No. 1 ranked T20I bowler in the world (as of 28th January 2018) did not find a taker in the IPL auction. Ish Sodhi has risen to the top of the bowling charts with stellar spells for New Zealand in the international circuit, but his performances haven't translated into money as franchises were simply unwilling to raise their paddle for the leggie.

Sodhi has an economy rate of just 7.1 in T20Is to go with a strike rate of 17, and considering leg-spinners are in vogue in the shorter formats of the game, the 25-year-old's exclusion is astonishing. With pitches in India tailormade for spinners, the decision to leave out one of the world's best is one that will raise many eyebrows and set tongues wagging.

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The very antithesis of the 'one size fits all' blueprint, Samuel Badree has remarkably taken the field in over 150 T20Is without ever setting foot in the ODI and Test arena. Despite his obvious prowess in the T20 format, Badree has never cracked the IPL code. His economy rate which sits at under 6 in T20s, shoots up to 7.5 in the IPL.

Badree has had stints at Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore with varying success.

Considering the fact that he can operate in the powerplay, and also taking into account his base price of INR 1 crore, it is rather surprising teams did not have him on their radar.