Unsold Overseas in IPL 2024 Auction (Photo Source : BCCI/IPL)
The IPL 2024 auction, which took place on December 19, 2023, at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena, saw 333 players going under the hammer. A total of 77 spots were open for grabs, with 30 of them being for overseas players.
Mitchell Starc (INR 24.75 crore) and Pat Cummins (INR 20.50 crore) bid broke records for the most expensive players bought in IPL auction history, while some other players also got handsome bids at the crucial auction.
However, some of the big-name players with good reputations in the T20 circuit could not find a buyer and these players, known for their stellar performances on the global stage, found themselves surprisingly unsold. This left the cricket community and fans bewildered and sparked debates about which player deserved to get a bid.
Here are the top five overseas players who were unsold in the IPL auction 2024:
5. James Neesham
James Neesham. (Photo Source: Twitter)
James Neesham is a regular on the T20 league circuit and has been part of the Indian Premier League as well. He has a good record in T20s, scoring 3514 runs and taking 209 wickets in 254 matches. His strike rate with the bat is 142.15 and economy is 9.
IPL is one platform that Neesham has not been able to conquer as the franchises have not shown faith in his abilities. He has played 12 matches across three seasons (2014, 2020, and 2021) and scored 60 runs, and picked eight wickets. If any franchise shows confidence in him and gives him a longer run, he could be a wonderful addition to their plans.
4. Keshav Maharaj
Keshav Maharaj (Photo Source: Twitter)
Keshav Maharaj was one of the most impressive bowlers in the recent ICC World Cup 2023 for South Africa. He bowled extremely economically on Indian pitches and his talent was displayed to everyone. Despite foreign spinners not being preferred by franchises, Maharaj’s performance in the World Cup seemed enough to earn him a chance.
Maharaj, who can also bat a bit when needed, has 111 wickets in 141 T20s with a best of 4/15 at an economy of 6.83, which is terrific for a spinner. He is the captain of SA20 franchise Durban Super Giants as well. However, he failed to attract any bids at the auction.
3. Jason Holder
Jason holder. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)
Jason Holder has been a significant asset for the West Indies in T20s and has shown his prowess in the IPL as well, with 259 runs and 53 wickets across 46 matches. His multifaceted skills as an all-rounder are usually highly sought-after in the IPL, making it surprising that franchises overlooked the chance to secure the former all-rounder at the IPL 2024 auction.
Despite his proficiency, concerns had emerged, particularly in his performance during the death overs in his tenure with the Rajasthan Royals. Additionally, his batting impact had been limited in the last few seasons. Furthermorem, budget constraints within franchises also contributed to his lack of bids.
2. Steve Smith
India vs Australia in the World Cup 2015 semi-final. (Photo Source: Steve Christo/Corbis via Getty Images)
Steve Smith had missed the IPL 2023 to focus on the ICC World Cup 2023 but decided to put his name in the IPL 2024 auction to strengthen his case for T20 World Cup. He gave a good preview as well, smashing back-to-back centuries in BBL. He also made a good case for captaincy as well.
He has good captaincy experience in the IPL, leading Rajasthan Royals for several seasons and captaining Rising Pune Supergiants to the IPL 2017 final. Maybe the mini-auction was not the place for Steve Smith to put his name for bidding, but with many changes expected after the IPL 2024, he might be in demand next year for IPL 2025.
1. Phil Salt
Phil Salt (Photo Source: Twitter)
One of the most shocking omissions in IPL 2024 auction was that of Phil Salt. The England keeper-batter had been part of the Delhi Capitals for IPL 2023 and did a decent job of keeping wickets and batting in the top order. He made 218 runs while opening the innings with two fifties and a best of 8, with a strike rate of 163.91.
He was released by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2024 auction. However, Salt hammered a brilliant century against West Indies (109 off 56) right before the auction and then added one more to his tally (119 off 57) in the next match on the day of the auction itself. However, he still failed to find a buyer, which surprised a lot of experts and even Salt himself.
