Best XI Of Unsold Players From IPL Auction 2023
All-rounders raked in the big bucks at the recently held IPL 2023 auction, with franchises going all out to pick the best from the set of players available. Punjab Kings broke the bank and paid Rs 18.5 crore to acquire the services of England's Sam Curran, the most expensive buy in IPL history.
But high price tags weren't the only surprises that the auction threw up. Several big players missed out on deals at the auction.
Here's a starting XI of unsold players at the IPL 2023 auction that could compete on level grounds with most sides.
Paul Stirling
While his teammate Josh Little became the first Irish player to ever be picked by an IPL side, Paul Stirling failed to interest any of the franchises. An opener for his national side, Stirling has played in several T20 leagues around the world.
The experienced Irishman has scored more than 7,800 runs in 319 T20s. His strike-rate of 141 helps whichever team he plays for to get off to a blazing start.
Abhimanyu Easwaran
Abhimanyu Easwaran is a name that has been setting the domestic circuit on fire for nearly a decade. The Bengal player was roped in as Rohit Sharma's replacement in India's recently concluded Test series against Bangladesh.
The 27-year-old has played only 27 T20s, but already has a century to his name in the format. He also has an average of above 38, which speaks of his consistency.
Dawid Malan
England's Dawid Malan was the top-ranked batsman in T20 internationals until just a few months ago. He may have dropped to the 6th spot, but was part of the England squad that won the T20 World Cup this year.
He was bought by Punjab Kings in the 2021 auction but took the field in only one match where he score 26 runs. The technically-sound southpaw was the leading run-scorer in The Hundred this year.
Priyank Panchal
Priyank Panchal captains Gujarat in the domestic circuit and has also led India A in several tournaments.
The 32-year-old has scored nearly 1,500 runs in T20s at an average of above 30. He also brings another important aspect to the table - his leadership qualities.
Priyam Garg
While the young Priyam Garg has been praised by several for his talent and technique, he has failed to live up to those expectations in the IPL. He was picked by the Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2020, a year after the India U19 side led by Garg finished as runners-up in the World Cup.
The 22-year-old has the technique to accelerate after a flying start, and can also hunker down in case of a top-order collapse.
Mohammad Nabi
According to the ICC Rankings, Mohammad Nabi is the second-best all-rounder in T20s. So it was surprising to see the Afghanistan player not picked by any franchise at the IPL 2023 auction.
In the last edition of the IPL, Nabi scored 163 runs and picked up 11 wickets. He can tonk the ball and can also bowl at any phase of the game, which makes him a perfect fit on our team.
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Nabi has immense experience of captaining his national side, and would be best suited to don the captain's hat in our rejected XI too.
Mohammed Azharuddeen
Mohammed Azharuddeen, a wicketkeeper, is a fearless batsman and was expected to go for the big bucks. He shot into the limelight when he scored a 37-ball century in a Syed Mushtaq Ali game last year.
He has an impressive strike-rate of 135 in T20s and his flamboyance makes him the right pick to score brisk runs in the death overs.
Chris Jordan
Chris Jordan was another player from the England T20 World Cup winning side who could not find a deal at the IPL 2023 auction. Recovering from a finger injury, Jordan played in the semifinal and final of the T20 World Cup, and picked five wickets across both matches.
Jordan is known as a specialist death bowler. He is also a capable lower-order batsman and a gun fielder, making him of great value to the team.
Shreyas Gopal
Shreyas Gopal has represented Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals and the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. He has picked 49 wickets in the marquee tournament in as many matches.
The leg-spinner is also handy with the bat.
Sandeep Sharma
Sandeep Sharma can swing the ball both ways and has demolished the top-order of several IPL sides since making his debut for the Kings XI Punjab in 2013.
The 34-year-old used to be a key member of the Kings XI pace attack, and has also represented the Sunrisers Hyderabad. He has taken 114 wickets in the tournament and has a decent economy rate of 7.7.
Varun Aaron
The speedster from Jharkhand was part of the Gujarat Titans side that lifted the IPL trophy earlier this year. However, Varun Aaron played only two matches and picked up as many wickets.
He possesses raw pace and can rattle the best of batsmen.
What are your views on this team of unsold XI from the IPL Auction 2023? Do you think they could compete as a squad against the current teams? Are there other players who should have made the cut? Please let us know in the comments.