IPL 2014 Auctions: Five big names who might remain unsold

IPL Auction has never been short of surprises. No one ever knows who is going to steal the attention or who is going to be left disappointed. The auctions have witnessed Ravindra Jadeja being bought for a million dollars, and Chris Gayle remaining unsold, before a Dirk Nannes injury reversed the fortunes of Chris Gayle and Royal Challengers Bangalore. VVS Laxman was another player who was forced to quit IPL as teams showed no interest whatsoever in buying him two years back.

Here is a list of 5 players who might remain unsold at the end of the 2014 auctions.

Ashish Nehra

Ashish Nehra and the art of leaking runs!

The lanky pace bowler from Delhi has often been at the receiving end of the batsmen in the international cricket which has forced the team management to drop him from the side several times. For a man with an uncertain future in the Indian colours, the chances of IPL franchises picking him aren’t very high.

Despite a few fiery spells like the 6-23 against England in the 2003 World cup, Nehra’s career has been filled with injuries and rough patches. With his economy rate crossing 8.5 runs per over in the last two seasons, Nehra could well be shown the door out of Indian Premier League this time.

Kumar Sangakkara

This scene was witnessed very early in Sanga’s innings last year

Sangakkara is definitely one of the best players in the modern era. When playing for the Lankans, he is obviously the spine of the batting line-up. Neither his consistency nor his strike rate has ever been under scrutiny, while representing his national team. But when it comes to IPL, Sangakkara is altogether a different batsman.

He is the captain who gets dropped from the team, or in better words, the captain who sits out instead of remaining an obstacle in the team’s progress. With a batting average of 13 last season, the wicket-keeper-batsman might not fall in any of the franchise’s plans in the upcoming auctions.

Jacob Oram

Oram’s T20 skills never came to the fore in IPL

Once considered as a complete all-rounder, Jacob Oram is miles away from his peak. In spite of Mumbai Indians having him in their squad for the last three years, he got to play only three matches in that entire duration. A big hitter of the ball and a very handy medium pacer, Oram has now become the yesteryear’s hero.

His career with the Black Caps in the future is not even a possibility while his IPL career is definitely inches away from getting over. He could have become a master of the T20 format but things never looked like going his way.

Brad Hogg

Age really matters!

Forty-two years of age, Brad Hogg has definitely lost the flair and craft that kept him in the Australian ODI side for quite a long time. A stunning entry into the Indian Premier League in 2012, Hogg has been regarded as a T20 specialist after his impressive performances in the Big Bash League.

But in the last edition of IPL, Hogg got to play only one game, against the Kolkata Knight Riders, where he was seen hurling full tosses and long hops, provoking the batsmen to make merry at his expense. With all that said, Hogg’s future with the Indian Premier League is uncertain.

Jacques Kallis

Will Kallis be shown the door?

You read it right. It’s Jacques Kallis, one of the greatest all-rounders in the history of the game. Kallis recently announced his retirement from Test cricket and also stated that he would be playing the 2015 World Cup. But the Kallis we have witnessed in the recent past looks short on confidence and might not have the firepower in his belly to play the aggressive brand of T20 cricket.

Kallis’ century in his final Test clearly showed the kind of struggle he is undergoing right now. The innings lacked clarity and was played on the slower side searching for accolades. The IPL franchises might not have a plan to use the 38-year-old in the next three seasons. Well, the prediction might just be the biggest surprise of this year’s auction.