Indian Premier League is arguably that topmost yearly event in the game of cricket. The entire world follows this tournament, and hence, typically, players perpetually would want to be a portion of the competition. That said, a few players recognise it from a separate perspective and therefore prioritize their time elsewhere.
In the past, we have seen some big names miss the IPL. They rather focus on their commitments for the national team or even cite personal issues as the ground for pulling out. Recently, BCCI declared that close to 1097 players had registered for the IPL 2021 Auctions. In the long list, some popular names were missing. We discuss them in the below headings.
1. Joe Root
He had been part of the auctions before, but no team had shown interest in him. However, if Joe Root ever wanted to play in IPL, this year was his best chance. He is in impeccable batting form, especially on the subcontinent tracks. There is a positive buzz around him, and with many teams requiring an overseas batsman, the Englishman could have been in demand. For Root too, IPL 2021 would have been a great opportunity to put a stamp on his T20 credentials. With a good campaign this year, he could have put himself in a space to bag a contract for the upcoming few seasons as well.
2. Mitchell Starc
While everyone was discussing as to where he would end up, Starc delivered a surprise by not registering for the event itself. It has been quite a few years since Starc has played in the IPL. Last season, he had pulled out of the tournament saying he wanted to prepare for the T20 World Cup. Due to the pandemic, the WC got rescheduled, and everyone felt Starc would make himself eligible for IPL 2021. Surprisingly, that has not happened. For all his fans, they have to wait for at least one more season to witness him in IPL.
3. James Pattinson
James Pattinson being not available for IPL 2021 is a big surprise. The Aussie had a fairly decent campaign last season, where he went on to win the title with Mumbai Indians. When MI released him recently, many pundits felt Pattinson could go for a good amount at the auctions. However, in an attempt to keep himself fit for the future tournaments, Pattinson has pulled out of IPL. It is a workload topic, and his injury-record might have driven the pacer to take this decision.
4. Tom Banton
Overseas keepers are always in demand in IPL. The likes of Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow and QDK are doing a good job for their respective franchises. While many opined that Tom Banton would fall in this category, in the few chances he got last season, the Englishman did not look convincing. A couple of weeks ago, he mentioned that he would not want to warm the bench in IPL and would rather play in the County. However, considering the T20 WC around, many felt IPL would be a good platform for Banton to make a strong case. He has surprised all by pulling out of the tournament.
5. Harry Gurney
English left-arm quick Harry Gurney has also pulled out of IPL. He has an injury problem, and there was a notion that he would recover in time. However, it seems that it won’t be the case. The pacer will now not be part of IPL 2021. He was part of the KKR set up but was released a few weeks ago. With him hitting 35 in a few months, his return to the tournament will become all the more hard.
