Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to become a 10-team affair as the new franchises of Lucknow and Ahmedabad will mark their presence in the tournament for the first team since its inception. This also means many youngsters will no longer be seen warming the benches and will grace the league with their talents.
But we have to admit that a few veterans may already have ended their IPL career last year. With the mega auction coming up in just a month, they now do not have enough time to prove that they have still got it. In this article, we will discuss 5 big released players that are likely to go unsold in the IPL 2022 auction.
1. Chris Gayle
The big fellow from the West Indies does not need an introduction. Chris Gayle has created an IPL legacy of his own. Lighting up the tournament with his fireworks, Gayle debuted in the IPL in the Kolkata Knight Riders’ jersey. However, he became an IPL great after he donned the red-colored jersey of Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Gayle no doubt is a T20 great but his recent form is nowhere close to his best. He has played for Punjab Kings in the last few years but the performance has not been upto the mark. He left midway through the tournament last season and this also may go against him.
2. Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh is another player who may not find a bidder in the IPL 2022 auction. With age creeping up, his fitness has taken a toll. He performed brilliantly for Chennai Super Kings in 2019 but opted out of the tournament in 2020.
Kolkata Knight Riders put Harhajan into their squad last year. Getting the chance to play in only 3 matches, the off-spinner failed to claim even a single scalp. Harbhajan has served well in the IPL but with the young off-spinners available in abundance, franchises are unlikely to go after him in the auction.
3. Kedar Jadhav
Kedar Jadhav was a useful T20 prospect as he used to roll over his arms as well. But since he left bowling, the cricketer went through a noticeable dip in his batting also. Franchises used him as a finisher and he failed to deliver in that role.
He last played for Sunrisers Hyderabad, scoring 55 runs in 6 matches at a strike rate of 105. With his current form and lack of effectiveness, Kedar is unlikely to find any bidder.
4. Eoin Morgan
Eoin Morgan led Kolkata Knight Riders to the final of IPL 2021 but it was all but clear that he will not be retained by the franchise, courtesy of his poor run with the bat. Scoring 133 runs at a strike rate of 95, Morgan struggled in the entire tournament. With the mega auction scheduled next month, Morgan does not have much time left to prove his worth as a batsman and may go unsold.
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5. Dan Christian
Dan Christian is known to take good luck to the franchise he is playing for. However, that did not happen last year when he played for Royal Challengers Bangalore led by Virat Kohli. The all-rounder heavily underperformed in both roles.
Scoring mere 14 runs in 9 matches at a strike rate of nearly 58, Christian did not give justice to the backing he received. Talking about his bowling, he took 4 wickets leaking runs at an economy of 9.30. Christian does not have form and age by his side and with the teams looking to build their squads for atleast next 3 years, he is unlikely to be picked in the auction.