IPL Auction is perhaps the most unpredictable event in the cricket calendar. It is tough to predict which players will fetch a big price and which players will go unsold at the auction. The franchises have raised many eyebrows in the cricket universe with their amazing decisions at the auction.
Speaking of IPL Auction, the overseas players were a major attraction at the 2021 Auction. The likes of Chris Morris, Jhye Richardson, Glenn Maxwell, Kyle Jamieson and Riley Meredith earned big at the auction. However, not every overseas player gets the same attention at the auction. Some big overseas names have gone unsold at the auctions over the years, and here are the top five names from them.
1. Kieron Pollard – Unsold at IPL Auction 2009
Kieron Pollard is one of the most successful all-rounders in IPL history. The West Indies cricket team skipper has achieved many feats in the IPL, and he has won five trophies with the Mumbai Indians.
Recently, Dwayne Bravo revealed he recommended Pollard to the Mumbai Indians in 2010. One year before that, Pollard had gone unsold in IPL Auction 2009.
2. Steve Smith
In the same auction, current Australian star Steve Smith also did not get a single bid. The Aussie player had a base price of USD 75,000 in the 2009 Auction.
Many fans would know Smith played as a leg-spinner then and he batted in the lower middle-order. Smith did not get any bidders at the auction since he was a foreign spin bowler.
3. Brian Lara – Unsold at IPL Auction 2011
Brian Lara was one of the most successful batters of his era. The left-handed batter was recently in action during the Road Safety World Series competition, where he represented the West Indies Legends.
Lara had enrolled himself for the 2011 IPL Auction. Although he could have been a marquee attraction, the franchises ignored him as he went unsold in the 2011 auction.
4. James Anderson
Another legendary player to appear on this list is English fast bowler James Anderson. The English pacer was a part of the auction pool in the year 2011.
Anderson actively played white-ball cricket then. However, not a single franchise showed interest in signing the English pace bowler. Anderson never received an opportunity to play in the IPL.
5. Lasith Malinga
Lasith Malinga is a former Sri Lankan cricket team captain who led his nation to the ICC T20 World Cup trophy in the year 2014. Malinga bowled magnificently in the death overs of the final match against India. His spell helped the islanders capture the ICC T20 World Cup title in Bangladesh.
Even in the IPL, Malinga has been one of the most effective fast bowlers. He has only played for the Mumbai Indians, and to date, he is the highest wicket-taker in the history of the competition. Malinga joined the Mumbai Indians and stayed with them till the 2017 season. However, before the mega auction in 2018, the Mumbai-based franchise released him.
It seemed like many franchises would target Lasith Malinga in the IPL Auction 2018. However, the right-arm fast bowler did not get a single bid. He served as Mumbai’s bowling mentor in that season.
