“I wasn’t really expecting myself to get picked” - Adil Rashid opens up on IPL auction snub
England's Adil Rashid was among the players who went unsold this year at the IPL auction. Speaking to the press about the same, he mentioned that he wasn't too upset about the snub because he didn't expect to get picked up in the first place.
This year, the auction was held on February 18 at the ITC Grand Chola Hotel in Chennai. Despite his strong and consistent performances at international level in recent years, Adil Rashid has often gone unnoticed during IPL auctions. This season's event was no exception, but he's not disheartened:
"I wouldn't say disappointing, obviously there are a lot of spinners out there, India also got their own local spinners, so I wasn't really expecting myself to be picked."
The IPL has a reputation for providing financial security to players. It is one of the most cash-rich leagues globally, and players often get picked up for whopping sums.
Adil Rashid would like "deals like" an IPL contract
Chris Morris was part of a big deal this season, signing for Rajasthan Royals for a mouth-watering sum of 16.25 crores. Australian cricketers Jhye Richardson (Rs. 14 crores), Glenn Maxwell (Rs. 14.25 crores), Riley Meredith (Rs. 8 crores), and New Zealand’s Kyle Jamieson (Rs. 15 crores) also went for large sums after sparking intense bidding wars between franchises.
Rashid continued by stating "it'd be nice" to be involved in high-profile deals like the aforementioned examples.
“Obviously, it’d be nice to get deals like that you know. But like I said, with these tournaments you put your name forward and hope a team picks you. That’s how it works with the IPL or any other competition."
The 33-year-old spinner was sensational in the first T20I match against India. He opened the bowling for his side and also picked up the all-important wicket of Indian skipper Virat Kohli inside the powerplay.
He finished the match with figures of one for 14 in his spell of three overs. Had the T20I series begun before the IPL auction this year, maybe Adil Rashid would’ve finally been picked up.