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7 unlucky players who went unsold at IPL Auction 2021

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Matthew Wade and Mitchell McClenaghan
Photo Source: Twitter

IPL Auction 2021 is in the history books now. The mini-auction before the 14th IPL season produced many surprises for the fans. The likes of Glenn Maxwell, Chris Morris, Jhye Richardson, Riley Meredith, and other foreign cricketers earned handsome amounts at the auction. Even Indian all-rounders Shivam Dube and Krishnappa Gowtham were among the top picks.

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However, there were also some deserving players who missed out on an IPL contract at the mini auction. Every year, a lot of players go unsold at the IPL Auction. Here are the top seven unlucky names who could not get a contract at the recently-concluded mini auction.

7. Matthew Wade

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Matthew Wade is the top T20I wicket-keeper of the Australian cricket team. The left-handed batsman impressed the fans with his top-quality performances in the T20I series against India.

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Wade also got an opportunity to lead the Australian T20I team. As he could open the innings and keep the wickets, many fans expected the IPL franchises to bid for him at the auction.

6. Alex Hales

Alex Hales had a fantastic Big Bash League season in Australia. The English player has excellent numbers in the game’s shortest format. Still, the IPL franchises have not shown much interest in him.

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Like Matthew Wade, Alex is an opening batsman in T20Is. He has been a part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL before. However, this year, Hales will likely watch IPL from his home.

5. Alex Carey

The Delhi Capitals offered Alex Carey his maiden IPL contract in the year 2020. Carey had done a job for Australia in white-ball cricket, which prompted DC to sign him.

Unfortunately, Carey could not impress his franchise owners last year, leading to his release. At the auction, none of the franchises showed any interested in the Aussie wicket-keeper.

4. Aaron Finch

Aaron Finch is the captain of the Australian T20I team. The right-handed batsman holds the record of playing for the most franchises in the IPL.

Had the Chennai Super Kings or the Kolkata Knight Riders signed him at the auction, it could have been Finch’s eighth time. However, no team wanted Finch’s services this year.

3. Mitchell McClenaghan

Mitchell McClenaghan was an integral part of the Mumbai Indians over the last few years. The Kiwi pace bowler won multiple championships with the Mumbai-based franchise.

McClenaghan is a wicket-taking bowler, who was successful on the Wankhede Stadium’s flat pitch. Hence, it was a bit surprising to see all franchises ignore him.

2. Billy Stanlake

Billy Stanlake
Photo: Billy Stanlake/Instagram

Billy Stanlake won the hearts of the fans with his fast-bowling performances for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. His tall height helped him to trouble the opposition batsmen.

Stanlake suffered injuries, which did not allow him to play much for SRH. Last year, he warmed the benches and returned to the auction pool this year. Unluckily, he did not get a buyer.

1. Jason Roy

The Delhi Capitals had Jason Roy in their squad last year. But the English opener did not play the season in the United Arab Emirates. So, Delhi released him before the 2021 season.

Almost every fan expected Roy to earn a big sum at the mini-auction. Unfortunately, the franchises did not even bid for him at his base price this year.