Yusuf Pathan, Evin Lewis and Mustafizur Rahman among unsold players: Numerous tried and tested names failed to attract a buyer.
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The auction for the 13th season of the Indian Premier League has ended after an intriguing day of planning and plotting. With almost all franchises getting what they wanted, expect IPL 2020 to be fought between eight well-balanced teams.
Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins became the most expensive player in this IPL auction. With a base price of INR 2 crore, Cummins was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for a gargantuan INR 15.5 crore after an intense between with Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
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Out of the 338 players who contested the auction, 62 have been sold in the auction. It is worth mentioning that a maximum of 73 spots were up for grabs before the auction started.
Yusuf Pathan, Evin Lewis and Mustafizur Rahman among unsold players
While many players have earned opulent contracts to play in the cash-rich league, numerous players remained unsold in this auction. A majority of the unsold players were domestic cricket, as expected. However, some tried and tested names also failed to find a buyer.
Veteran Indian batsman Yusuf Pathan, who has played 174 IPL matches for Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders and SunRisers Hyderabad in his 12-year old career, was among the leading names who remained unsold today.
Known for his big-hitting skills at the top, West Indies opening batsman Evin Lewis also didn’t find any team after defending champions Mumbai Indians released him last month.
The Bangladeshi duo of pacer Mustafizur Rahman and wicket-keeper batsman Mushfiqur Rahman also didn’t allure buyers in the auction. While 24-year old Rahman has played for Mumbai Indians and Hyderabad in the past, Rahim is yet to make his IPL debut.
Among the Indian players, batsmen Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Manoj Tiwary, wicket-keeper batsman Naman Ojha and all-rounder Stuart Binny missed on selection in this season.
Othan notable absentees
New Zealand all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme, opening batsman Martin Guptill, spinner Ish Sodhi and pacer Tim Southee, all of whom played the last season, won’t take part in the tournament this time round.
South Africa batsman Colin Ingram, West Indies all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite, Sri Lanka wicket-keeper batsman Kusal Perera, West Indies wicket-keeper batsman Shai Hope and England fast bowler Mark Wood are among the other unsold players.
