IPL Auction 2020: 5 prominent players who could go unsold

There's just one day left for the IPL 2020 auction, and there is a lot of excitement over which players the teams will sign to address their various squad issues. The auction is set to be held in Kolkata on 19 December, and 332 players will be up for bidding of which 143 are overseas players.

7 players listed themselves at the maximum base price of ₹2 crore, including big names like Glenn Maxwell, Chris Lynn and Dale Steyn. Robin Uthappa listed himself at a base price of ₹1.5 crore, and has the highest base price for an Indian player.

With just about 70 slots to be filled, many players will go unsold during the auction. While it isn't strange for inexperienced and lesser-known players to go unsold, we have sometimes witnessed prominent players going unsold too.

On that note, let's take a look at 5 prominent players who could go unsold this auction.

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#5 Ben Cutting - ₹75 Lakh

Ben Cutting

The Man of the Match award winner in the final of IPL 2016, Ben Cutting wasn't able to replicate his success in the matches that followed.

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The Aussie all-rounder is a great utility player who bowls crafty right-arm pace and is also an efficient pinch-hitter. But while he has succeeded in Australia and other pace-friendly surfaces, Cutting has struggled in India.

In 21 IPL matches, he has picked up just 10 wickets and scored 238 runs. His highest score remains the 39* which he made in the final of IPL 2016.

While many teams need all-rounders, there are many other players ahead of Cutting in the pecking order. He has listed himself at a base price of ₹75 lakh, but with much better options from England and the Caribbean, Cutting is likely to be ignored by the teams.

#4 Yusuf Pathan - ₹1 crore

Yusuf Pathan

Yusuf Pathan is an IPL legend in his own right. He was instrumental in RR's title-winning campaign in 2008, and became a highly sought-after player afterward.

However, Pathan's time in the limelight seems to be over. The 37-year old all-rounder has listed himself a base price of ₹1 crore, but not many teams are likely to go for him.

In the three seasons he played for SRH, Pathan couldn't cement his place in the side and struggled to make an impact. He could score just 40 runs in 10 games in the 2019 season at a poor strike-rate of 88.88, and was duly released by SRH.

Given his age and dwindling form, not many would want to go for Pathan at the auction. While he has performed decently for Baroda in the various domestic tournaments, his form isn't likely to last; given his heavy price tag, he's likely to go unsold.

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#3 Colin Ingram - ₹50 lakh

Colin Ingram (Image Courtesy: IPLT20.com)

Proteas batsman Colin Ingram made headlines when he bagged a ₹6.4 crore deal at last season's auction from the Delhi Capitals. But he didn't have a good season, failing to register a single 50+ score. He could put up just 184 runs in 12 matches at a poor average of 17.08.

Ingram's performances in the tournaments which followed the IPL weren't great. He had a poor T10 League and didn't do too well in CPL 2019 either. Moreover, his performances on spin-friendly surfaces haven't been good all through his career; that was one of the main reasons why he struggled in IPL 2019.

There are many better options available in the auction than Ingram. And with overseas slots being limited, he is likely to go unsold despite being available at a bargain price.

#2 Mohit Sharma - ₹50 Lakh

Mohit Sharma (Image Courtesy: IPLT20.com)

Indian pacer Mohit Sharma was CSK's costliest purchase at last season's auction. The Haryana bowler was bought by his former side for a whopping ₹5 crore, only to perform poorly in the only opportunity he got.

MS Dhoni backed younger talents like Deepak Chahar and since they performed well, Mohit couldn't get another chance to prove himself.

Mohit has listed himself at a base price of ₹50 lakh for this season's auction, but it won't be easy for him to get a bidder. He hasn't played in a single competitive game since the last IPL match against Mumbai in April this year; he has lost his place in the Haryana state team to younger talents like Ashish Hooda and Sumit Kumar.

Although he's a capped player with good experience, the lack of good performances in the last couple of years puts Mohit at risk of going unsold.

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#1 Carlos Brathwaite - ₹50 lakh

Carlos Brathwaite

Carlos Brathwaite has been the biggest enigma in the IPL auctions the last couple of seasons; franchises shell out a lot of money to sign him, only to find him under-performing.

After the four sixes which led the Windies to a T20 World Cup triumph in 2016, Brathwaite has struggled to make a name for himself in India. In 16 IPL games, he has made just 181 runs at a poor average of 13.92.

Moreover, he hasn't played like a proper all-rounder. He is rather inaccurate with the ball and has proved to be expensive in the IPL, picking up just 13 wickets at an economy rate of close to 9.

There's no doubt that Brathwaite is tremendously talented, and he does pull out a few moments of magic here and there. But he hasn't been consistent in doing so.

Bidding for a player like Brathwaite will either go high or won't take place at all. And with plenty of better options available, the franchises could look elsewhere.