5 released players who may go unsold in IPL Auction
Indian Premier League season 12 has set rolling with each team retaining their core players and releasing some players to rebuild their teams. IPL 2019 will be scheduled from the last week of March to mid of may complying to the implications of CoA.
With general elections looming in the summer of 2019, IPL may be shifted from the country as it has happened in 2009 & 2014. Board of Control for Cricket in India are mulling South Africa and the United Arab Emirates as possible options.
As ICC Cricket World Cup is set to happen right after the IPL, teams will be wary of the fact that players availability is subjected to each country and its administrative boards. With each team following their own strategies, player’s auction on December 18 would give a chance to teams redeem themselves and also clearly stating the schedule and venue of the two-month event.
Keeping all these aspects teams have thrown up many a surprise in retention and releasing of Players. Let us look into top 5 released players who may be unsold in the auction.
#1 Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh has been released by his home franchise Kings XI Punjab after having a lacklustre season. With 64 runs in seven games in IPL 2018, he was a pale shadow of himself. He was dropped mid-season after failing to create any impact and Punjab's poor performance in the second half couldn't help his cause as well.
It was disappointing to see him possessing the worst strike rate among players with a minimum of 50 balls faced in IPL 2018. The Mohali-based franchise acquired him for his base price of 2 crores after no other franchises showed interest in him.
Given that he hasn't featured in many games in this domestic season, franchises may not show interest in him. The costliest player ever to be brought via player auction in the IPL history may well be in the marquee player list and even if he reduces his base price it is unlike that he will feature in IPL 2019. It could well be the end of the road for Yuvraj Singh.