One of the biggest names in the history of Twenty20 cricket - Lasith Malinga found out that he is no more wanted in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
IPL 2018 Squads: CSK | RCB | SRH | KKR | DD | KXIP | RR | MI
At the two-day mega auction for IPL 2018, Malinga was among a host of foreign players who attracted no bids from the eight franchises.
Veteran Sri Lankan paceman Malinga was an asset to any side in the shortest format of the game. He was the go-to man for Mumbai Indians since 2009. But last year, he struggled.
The right-armer also won the Purple Cap award (for most wickets in the IPL season) in 2011. With age, fitness and form being not on his side, Malinga was not preferred at this year's auction.
Like 34-year-old Malinga there were several other overseas cricketers who went unsold. Some of the surprises were Shaun Marsh, Eoin Morgan and Hashim Amla, who hit two centuries for Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2017.
Englisman Morgan is the T20 captain of his national side. But he could not impress the IPL owners. Also, England Test skipper Joe Root, who was in the auction for the first time, went unsold.
As we sift through a long list of 412 unsold players, we get T20 and IPL achievers from that. Here we have made an attempt to put together an XI of non-Indian cricketers.
In all 169 players (out of 581) were sold over two days (January 27 and 28) in Bengaluru. England all-rounder Ben Stokes was the costliest buy at Rs 12.5 crore (Rajasthan Royals). 113 Indians and 56 foreign players were bought.
Here is our pick of Best Unsold IPL XI (Overseas Players only)
- Shaun Marsh (Australia)
- Hashim Amla (South Africa)
- Ross Taylor (New Zealand)
- Joe Root (England)
- Eoin Morgan (England) (Captain)
- Jonny Bairstow (England) (Wicketkeeper)
- James Faulkner (Australia)
- Samuel Badree (West Indies)
- Dale Steyn (South Africa)
- Tymal Mills (England)
- Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka)
