IPL 2020 auction: 5 unsold Indian players from last season the franchises could target this year

The highly-anticipated auction of the 13th edition of the cash-rich Indian Premier League will take place on 19 December at Kolkata. With the trading window for IPL 2020 set to close on 14 November, it will be interesting to see how many players each franchise would retain ahead of the auction.

Several players from across the globe will go under the hammer on auction day in the hope of earning lucrative contracts. And apart from the big guns who were exceptional on the world stage, a few players who missed out on a contract last season might once again enter the fray too.

While most of those unsold overseas players will make it to IPL 2020, only a handful of unsold Indians from last season will likely find themselves lucky this time. On that note, let us look at five unsold Indian players from last season whom the franchises might target this year.

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#5 Ishan Porel

Ishan Porel

The right-arm medium bowler burst onto the limelight during the 2018 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup semi-final against arch-rivals Pakistan at Christchurch, where he finished with figures of 4/17 in six overs. Despite his heroics and a base price of ₹20 lakh, he went unsold last year - unlike many of his colleagues at the Under 19 level.

The talented pacer put aside the disappointment of missing out on the IPL and instead concentrated on his bowling in the Indian domestic tournaments. Representing Bengal, Porel picked up 17 wickets in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy and nine in the 2018-19 Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy.

Post his Duleep Trophy stint with India Green, Porel made it to the India A side against the visiting South Africa A for the last two unofficial ODIs, as well as the Board President's XI for the tour game. He produced decent performances in the limited opportunities he got.

The 21-year-old then grabbed the headlines with his splendid bowling display against Jammu and Kashmir in the 2019-20 Vijay Hazare Trophy, scalping six wickets for 34 runs. Taking all this into consideration, Porel would surely be on the radar of several franchises at this year's auction.

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4) Anuj Rawat

Anuj Rawat

The young wicket-keeper batsman from Delhi, who was a part of the Indian Under 19 side that won the Asia Cup title in October last year against Sri Lankan colts, went unsold at the 2019 IPL auction with a base price of INR 20 lakhs.

The southpaw made his first-class debut in October 2017 and finished the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy season as his side's third-highest run-getter with 350 runs. Rawat was also brilliant behind the stumps with 24 dismissals (18 catches and 6 stumpings) overall.

With three half-centuries (250 runs throughout the tournament) in the 2019-20 Vijay Hazare Trophy, the 20-year-old once again proved his mettle with the bat. He also put in excellent glovework as usual, grabbing 14 dismissals (10 catches and 4 stumpings).

Rawat's performances both with the willow and behind the stumps could change his fortunes at the 2020 IPL auction.

3) Satyajeet Bachhav

Satyajeet Bachhav

Satyajeet Bachhav found no buyers at the last IPL auction as he went unsold with a base price of INR 20 lakh. Nevertheless, the slow-left arm orthodox bowler produced sensational performances with the ball in the Indian domestic circuit after his IPL snub.

Representing Maharashtra, Bachhav finished the 2018-19 Ranji season as his side's highest wicket-taker with 28 dismissals in seven matches and best figures of 8/108. In the 2018-19 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy that followed the 26-year-old was at his very best, picking up 20 wickets in 12 matches and finishing the tournament as the highest wicket-taker.

Batsmen succumbed to his web of spin in the 2019-20 Vijay Hazare Trophy as well, as the Nashik-born spinner finished the tournament as the joint-highest wicket-taker with 15 scalps in eight matches.

Bachhav's bowling display across formats has been commendable. After bagging 41 first-class wickets (in 14 matches), 39 in List A (23 matches) and 22 T20 wickets in 17 matches, he deserves an IPL contract this time.

2) Vishnu Vinod

Vishnu Vinod

Vishnu Vinod is a wicket-keeper batsman who plays for Kerala in the domestic circuit. He is no stranger to the IPL, having played for the Virat Kohli led Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2017 after coming in as a replacement for the injured KL Rahul.

Vinod's T20 stats (strike-rate of 138.10 with 64 fours and 35 sixes in 24 matches so far) are a clear indication of his batting style and calibre.

The 25-year-old, who was released by RCB ahead of 2018 IPL, found no buyers in seasons 11 and 12 with a base price of INR 20 lakh. But that could change soon considering Vinod accumulated 399 runs in 7 matches for Kerala in the 2018-19 Ranji season apart from emerging as the southern state's highest run-getter in the 2018-19 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with 225 runs in six matches.

With 508 runs in 8 matches (highest score of 139) that includes three centuries and one half-century, Vinod totally dominated the bowlers during the 2019-20 Vijay Hazare Trophy. Given his IPL experience and current form, he might well be a part of one of the eight franchises in 2020 IPL.

1) R Sai Kishore

R Sai Kishore

R Sai Kishore, a talented player who should have been on the radar of several franchises during last season's auction, found no buyers as he went unsold with a base price of INR 20 lakh.

The slow left-arm orthodox bowler moved on from the IPL snub and produced an excellent display with the cherry for his side during 2018-19 Ranji Trophy, where he finished as Tamil Nadu's highest wicket-taker with 22 scalps in six matches.

Sai Kishore has proven his credentials in the shortest format too, and is the highest wicket-taker in Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) history with 68 wickets. He has represented the Chepauk Super Gillies, Tuti Patriots and Trichy Warriors in the T20 league, which is four seasons old now.

With 25 first-class wickets (in 9 matches) and 42 List A (in 20 matches) scalps, Sai Kishore is one of the upcoming spinners to watch out for. He would surely be a bargain buy for the franchises if he gets an IPL contract this time.