The IPL unsold XI

The IPL auctions have always been as enjoyable as the IPL itself. It has always given the Indian cricket fan enough to discuss about. But almost always, the onus has been on the players who get selected and those who missed out are forgotten soon. This time’s auction has been much fair, with all teams looking pretty much equal. As pundits look into the best starting eleven for each team, I take a look at those who I feel deserved a spot in a team yet missed out completely. This is the IPL unsold XI. It’s definitely not as strong as the other IPL Teams, but I believe this is the most balanced side you can pick up from the list of unsold players and still can surprise you if put against any of the IPL teams. [NB: Sri Lankan and England players haven’t been selected due to their international commitments. Else, the likes of Ajantha Mendis and Luke Wright are too hard to ignore] So here goes!

#1 Faiz Fazal

[BASE PRICE: 30 LAKHS]

The former Rajasthan Royals player is not the typical T20 opener. A strike rate of 106 in T20s is not at all flattering. But he still opens the innings for this side, simply because he is going through one of the finest phase of his career. He kept scoring runs at will in the just concluded Ranji Trophy and now has started the Vijay Hazare Trophy with a fine 102* against Rajasthan at a decent strike rate of 86. Pretty high on confidence, it is almost certain that if given a chance Faiz would convert all of it into runs, even on a large platform like the IPL.

#2 Craig Simmons

[BASE PRICE: 30 LAKHS]

Partnering Faiz Fazal at the top would be Craig Simmons from Australia. A not so familiar name, Simmons is a T20 specialist who is in some blistering form. Making a return to the Australian domestic circuits from the recently concluded Big Bash League after a long gap, Simmons set the ground on fire with his blitzkrieg batting. The left handed opener scored two consecutive centuries (of which one was off a record breaking 39 balls) and played a huge role in helping the Perth Scorchers win the trophy. One of the leading run-scorers of the league with a whopping strike rate of 165, Simmons is very much on the likes of a Chris Gayle and is almost certain to get the team off to a great start. And the saying goes - well begun is half done.

#3 Subramaniam Badrinath

[BASE PRICE: 100 LAKHS]

S.Badrinath had played the role of a floater for the last six 6 seasons for the Chennai Super Kings. But this season, he was deemed surplus to requirements. It was a surprise that no team actually went for him, despite him being a great utility player. This team though requires someone to anchor the innings according to the situation; to steady the ship in case of early wickets, to consistently rotate strike to the attacking batsmen at the other end or to try and go for some big shots; and Badri do deserve a chance to prove he is the right man for it.

#4 Cameron White (C)

[BASE PRICE: 150 LAKHS]

England was pretty much humiliated in their recent visit to Australia and one man who played a silent yet crucial part in Australia’s victories in T20s was Cameron White. With scores of 75, 58* and 41 in the 3 matches, White ensured that the Aussies always had a good start. The captain of the Melbourne Stars now and the Sunrisers Hyderabad before, White is the perfect choice to handle the captaincy as well. A handy leg spinner and an outstanding fielder, White is still a great player to have in a T20 squad.

#5 Sachin Baby

[BASE PRICE: 20 LAKHS]

Sachin Baby was one of the most unlucky players of the last IPL. The Kerala captain was in such good form that even Harsha Bhogle happened to quote- "I think Rajasthan Royals might have made a great buy with Sachin Baby."

But despite being a part of the Rajasthan Royals starting line-up on 4 occasions and being terrific on the field, Baby got only one chance to bat, which he couldn’t utilize. While his younger teammate from Kerala, Sanju Samson went onto be a national sensation, Baby was left in his shadows for the rest of the tournament. True that he’s not in the best of forms now. Still, the dashing left-hander would have had a point to prove especially given his obvious potential and there was no better platform like the IPL.

#6 Kedhar Devdhar (WK)

[BASE PRICE: 10 LAKHS]

The 4 overseas player rule forces most teams to go for Indian wicketkeepers rather than opting for the luxury of an overseas keeper. Most teams vied equally for the Indian wicketkeepers and most of them were sold, with Mumbai having upto 4 Indian keepers in their team. But one keeper that surprisingly missed out was Kedhar Devdhar and the only reason I can think of is that he hasn’t kept wickets much in recent times. With V.Solanki keeping wickets, this Baroda youngster has had his responsibility cut down only to batting and he has fulfilled it with perfection. One of the leading run-scorers for Baroda, he too has started the Vijay Hazare Trophy with a bang, with two centuries to his name already. Capable of big hits, Devdhar could be a handy option towards the end of the innings.

#7 David Wiese

[BASE PRICE: 30 LAKHS]

Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Shane Watson play the same role for their respective franchisees - the role of a match-winner. The trio has played crucial parts either with the bat or the ball or with both, for their teams several times across the different seasons. David Wiese of South Africa is a very similar player to the three. In case the IPL is held in South Africa this time, it would help him even further, as he would be much familiar with the conditions and grounds there. An explosive batsman and a useful fast bowler, David Wiese has made it to the South African T20 team on a few occasions as well. But South Africa’s strong batting line-up meant they usually opt for Ryan McLaren, an all-rounder who is a slightly better bowler than Wiese. Mclaren himself went unsold in the auctions, but at 29 years in comparison to McLaren’s 31, Wiese is the better option for this side, also given the quality of bowling and the need of batsmen this team have.

#8 Praveen Kumar

[BASE PRICE: 200 LAKHS]

Praveen Kumar may have had disciplinary issues but no one can question his abilities. His ability to swing the ball both ways even on tough conditions is not every Indian bowler can claim. On his day, Praveen can run havoc through any batting-order in the world, and he has proved it on several occasions. True that he is currently going through a tough phase, having had to face disciplinary charges and he hasn’t featured much at the domestic level neither. But as the Indian team frantically search for options to strengthen its weakened bowling attack, someone like Praveen can be the answer. But for him to regain his lost confidence and rhythm, someone should have really picked him up at the auction and given him a chance to prove his mettle. Unfortunately, that never happened and he makes it to this team instead.

#9 Adam Milne

[BASE PRICE: 30 LAKHS]

One aspect of fast bowling India has always strived to bring up into its attack and yet has always failed is pace. The likes of Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav saw themselves in the National Team much quickly than they deserved, only because of the pace they generated. But neither of them has been able to match pace with quality in their bowling. The likes of Dale Steyn and Shane Bond are examples of those who mastered the art of bowling quick and in the right areas. Another youngster quickly mastering this art is New Zealand’s Adam Milne. Striking consistently at above 145kmph with accuracy, Milne has been a real menace to batsmen. At just at the age of 21, Milne can develop into one of the finest bowlers in the world, given the right platform and coaching. And the IPL is one platform where he really could have polished his skills. Too bad, he missed out. He doesn’t miss out here though.

#10 RP Singh

[BASE PRICE: 100 LAKHS]

Once the spearhead of the Indian bowling attack, RP Singh is nowhere to be seen in the frame now. The UP pacer stands at #3 in the list of highest wicket-takers in the IPL, yet he is better remembered for that drastic no-ball last year. At 28, RP is supposed to be at his prime. But in reality, he has been beaten down by consistent injuries. Cricket has witnessed several illustrious careers coming to abrupt ends courtesy of nagging injuries. At the same time, there are others who were nursed correctly and got over their proneness to injury. Given the medical and emotional support he needs and finding the right remedies to prevent his injuries, RP can still be back to being one of India’s best strike bowlers atleast in the shorter formats. Again, the IPL is a platform where the world’s best coaches and training staffs come together, and someone on the likes of a Waqar Younis (Sunrisers Hyderabad) or Wasim Akram (Kolkata Knight Riders) could have reignited his career. But neither did they pick him nor did any other team. He’s left to himself and to this team to redeem his career.

#11 Rahil Sha

[BASE PRICE: 10 LAKHS]

Indian spinners were the dessert of the auction this time around. With the Super Kings and the Knight Riders holding onto their valuable spinners, the others went all-out to secure the others available, regardless of their form or reputation. While almost every decent spinner in the domestic circuit landed a contract with a team, one name that missed out and ironically, has peaked since the auction is the Tamil Nadu slow-left-arm bowler, Rahil S Sha. The 28-year old has already picked 11 wickets from 4 matches at a mere 2.64 economy rate in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. Relatively a newcomer and inexperienced, the IPL would have been a great platform to showcase his talent and improve his game. But unfortunately he couldn’t capture the attention of any team.