Getting unsold at IPL auctions is always an interesting proceeding to study into. This is because most of these ‘unsolds’ happen due to the dynamics of the event and the player-cap for each franchise.
IPL 2009 Auctions happened with much fanfare after the success of the first edition. There were far fewer players going under the hammer, and there were many who had not registered for the event. Amidst all this, there were a couple of popular names which went unsold at the event.
In this article, we talk about five famous cricketers who failed to find a franchise at the IPL 2009 Auctions.
1. Brad Haddin
Brad Haddin is one of the most underrated players in Australian Cricket. For most of his career, Haddin had to be Adam Gilchrist’s deputy across formats. It was only when Gilly was missing a game that Haddin was getting a chance. Moreover, with expectations set at the standard of Gilly, performing would always be hard. However, after Gilchrist hung up his boots, Haddin carved a name for himself. He was good across all the formats and had skills to offer in T20’s too. That said, at the 2009 Auctions, Brad Haddin found himself on the unsold list. Maybe, the four-foreigner cap in an XI could have had a part in this.
2. Shakib Al Hasan
He was not an established player like he is now. Shakib Al Hasan was a known cricketer, but there were better foreign all-rounders than him. In terms of performances at the international level, Bangladesh was still considered a minnow then. Hence, franchises were sceptical about signing Bangladeshi cricketers. Despite being a proper T20 player, Shakib could not earn the trust of any squad. Nevertheless, a few years later, he won the trophy and also became a good IPL cricketer.
3. Ramnaresh Sarwan
Ramnaresh Sarwan played for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in IPL 2008. He got a few games but was not able to make an impact. In line with this, KXIP did not renew the contract with the West Indian. Although many felt other franchises would be interested in him, the case was not to be. The Indian-origin cricketer was unsold at the IPL 2009 Auctions. It was a disappointment for a player of his stature to miss out on the competition.
4. Andre Nel
Who does not remember the character that Andre Nel was? He was a box-office cricketer and made sure people were glued to the TV sets whenever he had the ball in his hand. In 2008, Nel represented the Mumbai Indians. The South African had very few chances but did not make good use of them. He also did not look suitable for the T20 format. Before the second season, Andre Nel tried his luck again at the auctions. However, he went unsold.
5. Luke Wright
Luke Wright started his career well but later lost his way. To his name, the Englishman has plenty of memorable performances in the T20 format. He was an all-rounder whose primary skill was with the bat. Luke could bat across the order, and that was one of his main strengths. That said, for IPL 2009, he did not get the opportunity to be part of the tournament. There was intense competition for spots, and the likes of Andre Flintoff were ruling the event. Hence, Luke did not find any takers.
