The preparations of the Indian Premier League 2021 Auctions are underway. On February 4th, the window for player registrations closed. 1097 cricketers have enrolled for the auction with 814 of them belonging to India. The trimming process would start in the coming days, and we would only see a few of these players entering the auction event.
Base price is an important factor in the auctions. Especially for those who are not in great form, setting a low base price could be crucial to getting a contract. However, in some cases, a few players might go unsold because of having a higher base amount. In this article, we look at five players who could go unsold due to slotting themselves in the INR 2 cr bracket for the upcoming auctions.
1. Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh is inactive in cricket, and this may not serve well for franchises that would be interested in him. Moreover, the veteran has placed himself in the INR 2 cr bracket, which would further reduce his chances of finding a franchise. At Bhajji’s base price, at least four quality uncapped players would be available for an IPL franchise, and that could be tempting. That said, Bhajji is a popular name in the Indian Cricket circles, and it might actually not be a big surprise if someone actually lands him at his base price.
2. Kedar Jadhav
Kedar Jadhav could muster just 193 runs from five games in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Let alone the Indian Team, Kedar’s situation is such that he might even find it difficult to find a new franchise in IPL next season. With him being in such a situation, a base price of INR 2 cr will only add to his woes. Especially since he will be coming early in the auctions, teams might be sceptical about spending INR 2 cr at the start. Hence, he might as well go unsold at the start, and if he is lucky, teams might bid for him at the fag end of the event.
3. Mark Wood
It feels that it is a gamble that Mark Wood has taken. For a man who is not in the bracket of the likes of Jofra Archer and Kagiso Rabada, a base price of INR 2 cr is pretty high. Of course, CSK had signed him for INR 1.5 cr in 2018, but back then, it was a different situation. Wood was in form and was bowling with full steam. Now, with most teams running on a light purse, it might not be possible that Mark Wood would earn a bid.
4. Colin Ingram
The South African batsman is a well-known face in the T20 franchise world. He has played for many teams and has actually done pretty well. In fact, a couple of seasons ago, Delhi Capitals signed him for a good amount. However, Colin did not do too well and was eventually released. With a not so great history, Colin might find it hard to get a team to raise a bid. Now that he has got a base price of INR 2 cr, the scenario looks all the more unlikely.
5. Liam Plunkett
Liam Plunkett has played IPL cricket in the past. He represented the Delhi Capitals and was fairly decent in a few games. However, with him not being a part of the competition last season, franchises might be a little hesitant to sign him. Now that he has an INR 2 cr base price, the scene has gotten worse for the Englishman. There is absolutely no way teams would spend money on a player who has been a little away from the scene in recent times. They would rather invest in a more established foreign pacer in the event.
