5 players who will be motivated to take the cricket world by storm in 2023 after going unsold at IPL auction
The IPL auction 2023 is done and dusted. The mini-auction took place in Kochi on Friday, December 23, where 80 players earned contracts from 10 franchises. More than 400 players were in contention to receive deals from the IPL teams but there were only 87 vacant spots in the 10 squads.
Almost all the franchises decided to fill up their squads to the maximum size of 25 players. Five-time champions Mumbai Indians preferred to keep 24 players in the team, while IPL 2014 finalists, Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders, decided to enter IPL 2023 with 22 players in the squad.
Several big names like Ben Stokes, Nicholas Pooran, Sam Curran and Mayank Agarwal earned massive contracts from the IPL franchises. However, not all the star players received bids at the IPL auction 2023.
Over 300 players remained unsold on Friday. Going unsold might have disappointed the players. However, for the following five names, remaining unsold at the IPL auction can serve as motivation.
#1 Dasun Shanaka
It was shocking to see the IPL teams bidding more than ₹15 crore each for Ben Stokes, Cameron Green and Sam Curran but not even submitting a bid worth ₹50 lakh for Sri Lanka's T20I captain Dasun Shanaka.
The Sri Lankan skipper has played 13 T20Is on Indian soil, scoring 254 runs at an average of 31.75. He has also scalped six wickets in those 13 matches. Shanaka will be keen to perform even better in 2023 and emerge as a top pick at the next IPL auction.
#2 Harry Tector
Ireland batter Harry Tector came into the limelight when he scored 103 runs in the two-match T20I series against India earlier this year. Tector aggregated 103 runs at an average of 103 and a strike rate of 168.85.
Many fans expected him to earn his maiden IPL deal but he remained unsold. The Ireland player will be motivated to up his game further in the coming months.
#3 Dawid Malan
England players earned the highest money at the IPL auction 2023. However, former World No. 1 T20I batter Dawid Malan remained unsold at the mini-auction.
Malan has been a match-winner for England but the majority of the IPL teams have ignored him. The southpaw will look forward to producing more match-winning performances for England, thereby forcing the IPL teams to bid for him next year.
#4 Mujeeb ur Rahman
Multiple overseas spinners earned contracts at the IPL auction 2023 but Afghanistan's Mujeeb ur Rahman remained unsold. Mujeeb is one of the top T20 bowlers in the world, and he also has a good record in the IPL.
Remaining unsold at this year's auction should motivate Mujeeb to work harder in 2023 and make a comeback in IPL 2024.
#5 Tabraiz Shamsi
Another foreign spin bowler to feature on the list is Tabraiz Shamsi. The former World No. 1 T20I bowler failed to attract any bids at the auction despite being a top performer in T20 leagues.
Shamsi belongs to the rare group of players who can bowl left-arm wrist spin. If he performs even better in 2023, the IPL franchises could think of signing him at the next auction.