IPL Auction 2021 will happen in Chennai just a few days from now. Over 1,000 cricketers had registered themselves for the auction. However, not everyone could make the cut to the final names for the auction. The BCCI sent the list of the players to the eight franchises, who then shortlisted the cricketers which they want to bid for in the auction.
While not every cricketer will be able to receive a contract because of the limited number of spots available, there will be fewer players unsold as compared to the auction where the 1,097 registered players would have gone under the hammer. It is tough to understand the mindset of IPL franchises. Some surprising names earned the ticket to the auction.
On the other side, some very popular names did not make it to the auction. Here are five popular players who got excluded from IPL Auction 2021.
5. S. Sreesanth
S. Sreesanth is a former T20 World Cup-winning player. He played an integral role in the Indian cricket team’s historic World Cup victory on South African soil in 2007. Four years later, Sreesanth won the 2011 Cricket World Cup with the Indian cricket team on home soil.
However, his career derailed after his name popped up in an IPL spot-fixing scandal. BCCI banned him from all forms of cricket, but he made his return to domestic cricket recently. Many fans expected him to return to the IPL this year. Unfortunately, Sreesanth’s dream has come to an end because he could not earn a place in the final list.
4. Lendl Simmons
West Indies batsman Lendl Simmons was an important member of the Mumbai Indians squad in the past. He solved the opening batsmen issues for the Mumbai-based franchise with his consistent performances at the top.
Simmons had also played a game-changing knock against Team India in the 2016 T20 World Cup semifinals. Surprisingly, the IPL franchises have not shown any interest in Simmons since the last few years. The Caribbean star is most likely to miss IPL 2021 after his name did not appear on auction list.
3. Colin Ingram
Colin Ingram is one of the few foreign players who has played for the Delhi Daredevils and the Delhi Capitals in the IPL. The left-handed batsman from South Africa is a white-ball specialist, who can hit the ball hard.
However, he has not been so impressive with the willow in the Indian Premier League. The IPL franchises did not consider his name to be carried forward to the final list after Ingram listed his base price as 2 Crores.
2. James Vince
James Vince is an English batsman who has made a name for himself with his top-quality performances in the shorter formats of the game. Many cricket fans thought Vince would bag a deal at the upcoming IPL Auction.
The chief reason behind that was Vince’s top form in the Big Bash League. Vince scored back-to-back 90+ scores for the Sydney Sixers in the playoffs. His two excellent knocks could not take him to the final list of players.
1. Liton Das
Only five cricketers from Bangladesh registered themselves for IPL Auction 2021. Four of them, namely Shakib Al Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Mohammad Saifuddin, and Mahmudullah made it to the final list of players.
Wicket-keeper batsman Liton Das was the unlucky Bangladeshi to miss out on a spot in the final list. Das has never played in the IPL before, but his performance in white-ball cricket has received praise from many fans.
