5 IPL players who came back strong as replacements after going unsold in the auction

#1 Chris Gayle

The 'universe boss' landed up in the auction pool ahead of the 2011 edition of the IPL after he was not retained by Kolkata Knight Riders. Gayle was not retained in spite of scoring 463 runs in the 16 matches that he played in the first two seasons for the Kolkata-based franchise.

At a base price of $400,000, the West Indian placed himself in the highest price bracket in the auction. Gayle failed to attract any bid and went unsold. Later he was roped in by Royal Challengers Bangalore squad as a replacement for injured Dirk Nannes.

Chris Gayle showed his potential, scoring 608 runs in 12 matches at an average of 67.55 and an astonishing strike rate of 183.13. He scored 2 centuries and 3 fifties in the season. Gayle later became a mainstay in the RCB squad, becoming a nightmare for the opposition bowlers.