IPL Auction 2020: 3 best players who won't be playing this IPL

With the IPL player auction (scheduled to take place in Kolkata on December 19) approaching fast, a total of 971 players have registered to be a part of the lucrative league during the IPL player registration window. The registration round included 713 Indian and 258 overseas players.

However, with only 73 spots available among all the eight franchises, it will be interesting to see who makes the cut as the hammer goes down two weeks later.

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Some of the big names have made themselves available after missing out on the 2019 edition due to international commitments. The league, this time around, will see the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Finch, Eoin Morgan, Pat Cummins, and many others returning to the fold.

A host of young uncapped Indian players, along with a few overseas ones who have made the right noises in the various T20 leagues around the globe, will also be in demand.

However, there still are some renowned names who will be missing out on the T20 extravaganza next year. Here we take a look at three such star players who will not be there IPL 2020:

#3 Mitchell Starc

Mitchell Starc - RCB

Australian quickie Mitchell Starc is one of the premier international stars who has opted out of the IPL auction, meaning that he will be missing out on the tournament for the fourth time in a row. Bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders for a hefty auction price of INR 9.4 Cr last year, was ruled out of the entire season due to injury.

The 29-year old last featured in the IPL for RCB in 2015, and has failed to make an appearance in the league thereafter. Considering his current form in the recently concluded Test series against Pakistan, the speedster could have been in great demand at the auction but, unfortunately, chose to make himself unavailable.

His exclusion at the IPL 2020 will be a great miss for any franchise hoping to rope in the Aussie pace spearhead. This will force a major change in their strategies ahead of the player auction.

#2 Shakib Al Hasan

Shakib Al Hasan

The star Bangladeshi all-rounder will be another notable absentee from IPL 2020 after getting banned for failing to report an old case of corruption in the game. His two-year ban prompted the management at Sunrisers Hyderabad, a team he had been a part of for the past two seasons, to release him with immediate effect.

He had had a disappointing IPL 2019, playing only three games for the Orange Army, with a negligible contribution to the team's cause.

His overall record in the tournament, however, is a bit better. In the 63 matches he has played in, the 32-year-old has taken 59 wickets at a decent economy of 7.46 along with 746 runs at a strike rate of 126. There is no doubt that Shakib’s exclusion for the next season will affect SRH’s strategies leading into the tournament given what he brings to the table.

#1 Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj also played for RCB

One of India’s greatest ODI players of all-time, Yuvraj Singh will also miss the IPL 2020 after he took the decision to retire from all forms of cricket earlier this year. In the entire time he was actively playing the sport, he had missed out on just a single season the T20 extravaganza.

He was forced to sit out of IPL 2012 after being diagnosed with cancer. However, he recovered and ensured he gave it his all upon his return. Though he was not the same player anymore, he still continued to impress franchises and was employed by various teams at high prices.

Even in IPL 2018, he was picked at his base price of INR 1 Cr by Mumbai Indians but could only play 12 games in the two seasons that followed. While he still continues to ply his trade in various T20 leagues around the world, hardcore fans will really miss his presence at the IPL next year.