In the high-stakes arena of the IPL 2024 auction, where fortunes are made and dreams shattered, star cricketers witnessed a rollercoaster of emotions.
While some bagged jaw-dropping deals, others faced the bitter reality of going unsold.
The 10 IPL franchises passed the opportunity to sign up quality cricketers like Steve Smith, Rassie van der Dussen, Josh Hazlewood, Adil Rashid and Tabraiz Shamsi among others. Here are 10 stars ignored by the IPL teams at Tuesday's auction in Dubai:
1. Steve Smith (Base Price: Rs 2 crore)
Despite his Australian team-mates Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Travis Head fetching record bids at the IPL 2024 auction, Steve Smith -- one of the world's finest batters -- went unsold.
Smith, despite consistent performances for the Sydney Sixers in Big Bash League 2022, failed to attract any bids, even during the accelerated round.
2. Rassie van der Dussen (Base Price: Rs 2 crore)
The South African right-handed batter known for his top-order prowess previously played for the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2022.
3. Josh Hazlewood (Base Price: Rs 2 crore)
The IPL's unpredictable nature emerged as Hazlewood, one-third of the formidable Australian pace trio, surprisingly found no buyers. Hazlewood, looking forward to the birth of his first child, intended to join the IPL after the first week of May.
The Australian fast bowler, renowned for consistent performances across formats, remained without takers due to his unavailability in March-April.
Despite an impressive track record of 35 wickets in 27 IPL games, teams were deterred from making bids due to his absence during the initial months.
4. Adil Rashid (Base Price: Rs 2 crore)
No takers for one of the finest leg-spinners in modern-day white-ball cricket, who has played for the Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad in earlier IPLs.
5. Tabraiz Shamsi (Base Price: Rs 50 lakh)
The left-arm wrist spinner, known for his T20I prowess, was one of the may spinners who didn't find franchise interest at the auction.
6. Sarfaraz Khan (Base Price: Rs 20 lakh)
No team showed interest in hiring Sarfaraz, who was released by the Delhi Capitals before the IPL 2024 auction. Although Sarfaraz hasn't been consistently impactful in the IPL, his potential could be hindered by limited opportunities.
The 26 year old has delivered standout performances with Mumbai in domestic cricket, and his past successful tenure with Royal Challengers Bangalore adds to his cricketing credentials.
7. James Neesham (Base Price: Rs 1.50 crore)
His late entry into the auction pool meant that most teams had already allocated their budgets towards their primary player choices, resulting in his absence from any IPL contract this season.
8. Kyle Jamieson (Base Price: Rs 1 crore)
Jamieson's ongoing back injury played a role in his unsold status at the auction. Teams are cautious about players with recent injuries, and uncertainties about fitness and availability likely deterred bids.
Since Jamieson has been out with a back injury since June, teams were likely hesitant to secure his services.
9. Philip Salt (Base Price: Rs 1.50 crore)
Phil Salt's T20I century against the West Indies just three days ago couldn't secure him a spot in any of the IPL teams. No franchise wanted to sign up the hard-hitting English wicket-keeper-batter.
10 Josh Inglis (Base Price: Rs 2 crore)
Despite his remarkable century in the first T20I against India, the Australian wicket-keeper-batsman found no takers.
