3 Players who might not be the first priority in the playing XI despite getting picked
The IPL Auction 2019 concluded on Tuesday and as many as 60 players were sold in the process. 40 Indians and 20 overseas players were sold to various franchises in an event that was held in Jaipur.
While some new faces attracted huge bids, few veteran players were unsold in the auction. Jaydev Unadkat along with Tamil Nadu Premier League star Varun Chakravarthy got the highest bids of the season with INR 8.4 crore each. When it comes to overseas players, England's Sam Curran was sold to Kings XI Punjab for INR 7.2 crore.
Former South African batsman Colin Ingram, who is currently regarded as T20 specialist in franchise cricket was sold to Delhi Capitals for INR 6.4 crore. West Indian all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite being bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 5 crore was one of the surprise elements of the auction.
However few veteran players and T20 specialists were unsold in the auction. Manoj Tiwary, Rahul Sharma, Naman Ojha, and few other Indian players were left unsold. Whereas, the likes of Brendon McCullum, Hashim Amla, Alex Hales, Dale Steyn, and few other overseas players couldn't attract any buyers.
In this article, we look at 3 players who might not feature in the playing XI despite getting picked.
#1 Martin Guptill - Sunrisers Hyderabad
Martin Guptill, who is regarded as one of the finest openers in the shorter format of the game has been in the auction pool for every season but was never looked upon. The Kiwi batsman earlier represented Mumbai Indians in the year of 2016 and Kings XI Punjab in the 2017 season.
In 10 IPL games, he could only score 189 runs at a below-par average of 21 and a strike-rate of 132.17. He has only 1 half-century to his name and could never set the stage on fire considering the reputation that he carried.
In yesterday's auction, Martin Guptill went unsold in the first round for his base price of INR 1 crore. However, Sunrisers Hyderabad picked him up in the last round for his base price.
Despite getting picked, Guptill might not feature in the playing XI considering the strong batting line-up that Sunrisers Hyderabad possess. With the likes of David Warner, Jonny Bairstow and Kane Williamson at the top, Martin Guptill would need to warm the bench.