Top 5 unsold players at the IPL 2022 mega auction who may be bought back by the franchises

#3. David Miller

South Africa v West Indies - ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021

David Miller is currently considered one of the most destructive finishers in the world. However, he remained unsold on Day 1. He set his base price at ₹1 Cr.

Having been part of ten IPL editions, Miller was expected to get a bid in the ongoing IPL mega auction. The southpaw has played 355 T20s, scoring 7675 runs at a strike rate of 137.86, including 36 half-centuries and three centuries.

He burst onto the scene for Punjab back in 2013 when he scored 418 runs at an average of 59.71 and at a stunning strike rate of 164.56. The following season he bettered his previous tally by making 446 runs and helped the Punjab team to the finals of the IPL.

During the IPL 2020 Auction, Miller was bought by Rajasthan Royals for ₹75 lacs. Despite appearing in just a single game in IPL in 2020, he was retained by the franchise in 2021 because of his ability to single-handedly change the course of a match. However, he wasn't able to perform according to his potential with the Royals.

With a lack of experienced finishers up for grabs, one cannot rule out the various franchises eyeing Miller in the accelerated process.

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#2. Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina for CSK

Suresh Raina became the second player to go unsold (after South Africa's David Miller) in the IPL 2022 Mega Auction on Saturday. There were no buyers in the first bid for Raina, who had set his base price at ₹2 crore. Dubbed as 'Mr. IPL', it was a bit staggering to see Raina failing to earn an IPL contract.

Raina had been a vital member of the Chennai Super Kings since the tournament's inception (barring the 2016 and 2017 editions, when the franchise was banned). Before returning to the Chennai franchise, the left-handed batter captained the now-defunct Gujarat Lions for two seasons.

After the 2021 edition, he was released by CSK, and he also lost his spot in the XI during the last months of the season owing to inconsistent performances. He has played 205 IPL matches, scoring 5,528 runs at a strike rate of 136.76.

At the mega auction, CSK bought back a few of their stars. They signed Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, Dwayne Bravo, and KM Asif, who were all part of the CSK camp during IPL 2021 and were roped in by the Chennai-based franchise in the ongoing IPL 2022 auction. Hence, there might be a chance of CSK adding Raina later to the list. The 35-year-old may also find a new home, given his eminent IPL record.

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#1. Adam Zampa

Australia v Bangladesh - ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021

Perhaps the most surprising player to go unsold in the mega auction was Australia's ace white-ball spinner Adam Zampa.

Adam Zampa has developed into one of the most dangerous leg-spinners in the world courtesy of his fearless character and the old-school technique of tossing the ball up.

Skipper Aaron Finch praised the 29-year-old after Australia's historic triumph in the T20 World Cup in 2021. Zampa deserved to be crowned Player of the Tournament, according to Finch. Zampa finished the competition with 13 scalps in seven matches at an average of 12.08 and an exceptional economy of six.

The ability of Zampa to keep things simple exemplifies his mental process. The NSW-born spinner is dangerous because of his mastery of the craft.

Teams like CSK, Delhi Capitals (DC) and Mumbai Indians (MI) still have room to have a seasoned right-arm leg-spinner. Therefore, the possibility of Zampa being bought back by any IPL franchise is still high.