The Indian IPL season is set to enthral cricket fans for the eleventh time, and the prelude to the battle – the all important IPL auction – is set to be held on 27 and 28 January.
With wholesale personnel changes in every team and the return of iconic franchises, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, the colourful festival is spreading different hues this time around.
A whopping 1,122 players have enrolled for the auctions this year, the most in the history of the tournament, and this can only mean more action at the auction.
Over the years, the IPL has given birth to quite a few superstars of its own, both Indian and overseas. However, 11 years since its inception, some of these icons are losing their sheen and could very well go unsold among the thousands registered. Here, we take a glance at seven of these IPL war heroes who might be jobless in April - May this year.
1. Yusuf Pathan
The blistering Yusuf Pathan, a favourite of the Kolkata Knight Riders, made his name in the Indian Premier League with a slew of match-winning performances. Part of the Rajasthan Royals outfit, which won the tournament in the inaugural season, Pathan was the Man of the Match in the finals. In 2010, he slammed a 37 ball 100 against Mumbai Indians for Rajasthan.
Since being acquired by Kolkata Knight Riders, Yusuf has churned out several eye-catching performances, but last season was a huge disappointment for the elder Pathan brother.
He played all 15 matches, scored a meagre 143 runs at an average of 17.87, and made little impact in a team of superstars. He wasn't retained by Kolkata before the auction and it looks rather unlikely that they might use the Right to Match (RTM) card to acquire him. Add to all of this, the fact that he was suspended for use of illegal drugs, and this IPL hero might well have played his last match in the tournament already!
2. Harbhajan Singh
An icon player for the Mumbai outfit, Harbhajan Singh, the former Indian off-spinner, is quickly losing admirers after playing for several years for the Mumbai-based franchise.
He is among the only few to represent the same franchise since the start of the IPL, but this year, it could be different. Lack of wickets was a primary reason for his ouster from the Indian team and it could well prove to be his nemesis in acquiring an IPL contract too.
With just eight wickets in 11 games last year, Harbhajan did not instil much confidence and there is a very real chance that he may watch these games from the comfort of his home in the summer.
3. Dale Steyn
The sensational 'Phalaborwa Express’ was injured half-way through the first Test against India at Cape Town with a soft tissue injury to his heel. Although he is expected to be fit in a month's time, Steyn's recurring injury woes could directly affect his chances of earning money through the IPL.
He completed just one series out of the last five Test series’ he was part of, and is no longer an automatic pick in South Africa's ODI and T20I teams. Although he was part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise in the 2016 season, he opted out of the IPL in 2017. This year, he has enrolled at a base price of Rs 1 crore, but may very well find himself without takers.
4. Shane Watson
A vital member of Shane Warne's IPL winning squad of the inaugural season, Shane Watson, despite his recent heroics in the Big Bash League, had a rather quiet IPL season for Royal Challengers Bangalore last season.
The Australian all-rounder was used in the middle-order and as a death bowler, but faltered in both roles as Bangalore finished at the bottom of the table. He scored just 71 runs at an average of 11 last season and went at an economy of 9.13 in the eight games he played with just five in the wickets column. It is unlikely that Watson will attract many bidders this time around.
5. Chris Gayle
The story of Chris Gayle's rise in the IPL is a staggering one. Unsold in 2011, he was picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore after Dirk Nannes suffered an injury and went on to become an iconic player of the Virat Kohli-led franchise.
He holds the record for most sixes in the tournament (265) with the next best a long way away at 173 (Suresh Raina), and also smacked the highest individual score in T20s (a bludgeoning 175) in the IPL.
He wasn't at his very best last season with most teams finding ways to get past the marauding West Indian opener. Despite his heroics in the Bangladesh Premier League, Gayle will be lucky to have any takers this time around.
6. Lasith Malinga
The ‘Slinga’, an iconic player in the tournament and a Mumbai Indians faithful, has lost his gleam in recent years owing to fitness concerns.
The Sri Lankan’s stocks have taken a free fall with the yorkers and slower balls not that effective anymore, and Lasith Malinga struggles to find a place even in the Sri Lankan side these days.
Malinga has been a terrific servant for Mumbai Indians over the years, but they opted against retaining him this season with his diligent student, Jasprit Bumrah, getting the pick. The Rohit Sharma-led franchise is unlikely to use RTM to acquire Malinga even if one of the other teams do bid for him.
7. Yuvraj Singh
The man who attracted Indian fans to T20 cricket with his six sixes in an over in the 2007 T20 World Cup, Yuvraj Singh has undoubtedly been an IPL legend. The flamboyant left-hander set the stage alight for several franchises after leaving Kings XI Punjab where he served for many years.
The 2017 IPL was grossly disappointing for the 2011 World Cup hero representing the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise, scoring just 252 runs in 12 matches at 28.00. Although batting below the likes of David Warner, Kane Williamson and Shikhar Dhawan affected his prospects, it is widely agreed that Singh is no longer the beast he once was. Even if it could be quite a shocker if he goes unsold, it certainly remains a realistic possibility.
(Rohit Sankar is a freelance cricket writer. He can be reached at @imRohit_SN)
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