IPL Auction 2020: 5 players who surprisingly went unsold 

Once again, we saw big money spent in the IPL auction as players from all over the world were picked up.

There were a lot of big winners from the auction. None of those winners were any bigger than Australia’s Pat Cummins though, as the number one Test bowler in the world became the most expensive overseas player in IPL history. He was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders for 15.5 crore (US $2.1m), more than the Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017.

Cummins wasn’t the only Australian to come away from the auction well off. Glenn Maxwell was picked up by the King XI Punjab for 10.75 crore (US $1.5m), returning to the franchise he was with between 2014 and 2017.

Chris Morris was a surprise massive pick, going for 10 crore (US $1.4m) to the Royal Challengers Bangalore, despite having quite a modest IPL record. There was also big money for IPL debutant Sheldon Cottrell, who was bought by the Kings XI Punjab for 8.5 crore (US $1.2m).

There was also success for Cottrell’s West Indies teammate, Shimron Hetmyer, who was bought by the Delhi Capitals for 7.75 crore (US $1.1m), continuing his good December after he struck a superb 139 against India last week.

There were a few players who weren’t picked up though to the surprise of all the onlookers. Here are five players who surprisingly went unsold in the auction.

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#5 Stuart Binny

Binny has experience at international level

It is a surprise that some teams didn’t choose to add a bit more depth to their squads, and that is where Stuart Binny could really have come in useful. He may not have always performed brilliantly during the IPL tournaments, but he is someone who can be a very valuable asset if he is at his best.

What the 35-year-old does do is add experience to a squad, and that would certainly be important in some squads, even if it was to act as a mentor to younger players. Binny did still play a number of games for the Rajasthan Royals last year, so it is a little bit of a surprise that no teams could find a use for him this time around.

Pat Cummins fetched a record price.

#2 Tim Southee

Southee has had a lot of success in the shorter forms of the game

One of the big surprises of this auction was the lack of New Zealand players to have been picked up. Of course, the likes of Kane Williamson, Trent Boult and Mitchell Santner are already there, and have enjoyed success over the last couple of seasons. However, this time around, Jimmy Neesham was the only New Zealand player picked up, and even that was at a very low price, as he was bought by the Kings XI Punjab for 50 lakhs (US $70,000).

It comes as even more of a surprise given the success New Zealand have had in white-ball cricket in recent years, including reaching the World Cup Final in the last two tournaments. One man who has played a part in both of those tournaments is Tim Southee, who went unsold at this year’s auction, The seamer has the ability to pick up wickets at the start of the innings, as well as being useful at the death, so it is a bit of shock no team has decided to pick him up.

Kiwi fast bowler Tim Southee is unsold #IPLAuction

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) December 19, 2019

#.3 Naman Ojha

Ojha is one of the top wicket-keepers in India

There are a number of very good wicket-keepers in India at the moment. Despite being 38 years old, and perhaps at the end of his international career, MS Dhoni still leads the way, having successfully captained India in all three forms of the game. There are the also the likes of Wriddhiman Saha and Ishan Kishan, although it is the Delhi Capital’s Rishabh Pant who leads the race to replace Dhoni in the India side.

One of the finest out there is Naman Ojha, who went unsold despite having a base price of just 50 lakhs (US $70,000). The 36-year-old may not be the most exciting player to watch like Pant, or have the innovation of some of the other ‘keepers who were picked, but he is still a very reliable player, both with the gloves, and with the bat. He may have been a good pick for the likes of the Royal Challengers Bangalore, and the Kolkata Knight Riders, who could have done with a backup ‘keeper.

#2 Martin Guptill

Guptill is a destructive player in T20 cricket

Martin Guptill is another New Zealander who found himself unsold, despite being one of the most destructive white-ball batsman in world cricket. The 33-year-old may have been in poor form over the last 12 months, but despite that, he still showed he was capable of scoring quick runs, and averaged just over 30 in the recent T20 international series with England. That may not be a great number, but they were still very useful runs, and came at a good rate during the powerplay.

An in-form Guptill has the ability to do all sorts of damage to a bowling attack, something he showed with an incredible 237 not out against the West Indies at the 2015 World Cup. His style of going hard from ball one may not always come off perfectly, but when it does, he becomes a very valuable asset. If any overseas player were to pick up a serious injury before the tournament gets underway, Guptill is likely to be high on the list to replace them.

#1 Colin Ingram

Ingram has enjoyed success around the world in T20 cricket.

Colin Ingram may not be the best known South African player to be part of the auction, with Dale Steyn, David Miller and Chris Morris all bought, but he is someone who has had an awful lot of success in T20 cricket all over the world. At 34, he has experience with a host of T20 franchises all round the world, including with the Adelaide Strikers, the Karachi Kings and the Trinbago Knight Riders, as well as spending last season’s IPL at the Delhi Capitals.

His record in T20 cricket is an impressive one. In 256 games, he has scored well over 6000 runs at an impressive average of over 30. He has also shown his ability to bat for longer periods of time, scoring 39 fifties, as well as making four centuries. He may not be someone people immediately think of when it comes to the best T20 players of all time, but he has certainly been one of the more successful.

Dale Steyn was one South African who did find a team.