IPL auction 2022 witnessed some intense bidding as teams assembled their respective squads the best they could. Some of the biggest names went under the hammer, with a fair few surprises seen. Ishan Kishan was the most expensive buy of IPL auction 2022 with Mumbai Indians shelling out a whopping Rs 15.25 crore for the wicketkeeper-batter. A total of 204 players were sold and Rs 551.70 crore was spent by the 10 franchises. However, there were some big names that found no takers in the IPL auction.
We look at the big names that went unsold in IPL auction 2022:
Suresh Raina (Base price of Rs 2 crore):
The left-hander sits in fourth position in the list of all-time run-getters in the IPL. He has played 205 matches and scored 5,528 runs at an average of 32.51. Raina is only behind Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma in the run-getters list and incidentally boasts a better average than Rohit Sharma, and also has a better strike-rate than all the three players above him in the list.
At 35 years, Raina still seems to be in good condition but his base price of Rs 2 crore might have spooked some of the teams. Also, Raina struggled big-time in the 2021 season, scoring just 160 runs in 12 matches at a paltry average of 17.77.
Steve Smith (Base price of Rs 2 crore):
The Australian run-machine surprisingly found no takers in the IPL auction 2022. He had a mixed tournament in 2021 while playing for Delhi Capitals. Smith scored 152 runs in eight matches at an average of 25.33 and a strike rate of 112.59.
His overall experience could have come in handy for some of the teams but no one decided to take a punt on him.
Shakib Al Hasan (Base price of Rs 2 crore):
The volatile Bangladesh star tops ICC's ODI rankings for all-rounders and is second in ICC's T20I rankings. However, despite his prowess with both the bat and ball, no team put in a bid for Shakib.
His poor outing in IPL 2021 might have worked against him. Playing for KKR, Shakib scored just 47 runs in eight matches and managed to take just four wickets.
Adil Rashid (Base price of Rs 2 crore):
The England leggie has shown great control over the years and is one of the top bowlers currently in the shortest format of the game. Adil Rashid is third in ICC's T20I players rankings, but that fact fell on deaf ears as the franchises decided to give him the cold shoulder.
Imran Tahir (Base price of Rs 2 crore):
The veteran South African spinner is now 42 years old and his base price of Rs 2 crore might have been the reason for him finding no buyers in the auction. Even last year, Tahir got the chance to play just a single match for the Chennai Super Kings, in which he took two wickets at an economy rate of 4.
Aaron Finch (Base price of Rs 1.50 crore):
The Australian white-ball captain has shown glimpses of his talent in the IPL but has been unable to consistently do well. Finch had played for RCB in 2020 where he had done fairly well -- scoring 268 runs in 12 games but he was released ahead of the IPL 2021 auction where he went unsold.
Dawid Malan (Base price of Rs 1.50 crore):
The Englishman was the top batter in T20Is as per the ICC rankings but in recent times has steadily fallen down the pecking order. He is currently 5th in ICC's T20I rankings and has failed to his lofty standards in the recent past.
He had joined Punjab Kings last season amid much fanfare but got to play a solitary game in which he had scored 26 runs.
Eoin Morgan (Base price of Rs 1.50 crore):
The England white-ball skipper had led the Kolkata Knight Riders to the final in IPL 2021, where they lost to Chennai Super Kings. Despite KKR's superlative run to the final, Morgan himself had a torrid time with the bat.
The left-hander scored just 133 runs in 17 matches at an average of 11.08. His struggles in 2021 probably went a long way in teams deciding against purchasing him despite his obvious leadership skills.
Chris Lynn (Base price of Rs 1.50 crore):
One of the most brutal hitters that has emerged from Australia, Lynn has failed to replicate his BBL exploits in the IPL. He was picked up by Mumbai Indians for his base price of Rs 2 crore ahead of IPL 2021 season but got to play just one match.
He, however, impressed in that much scoring 49 runs at a strike-rate of 140. Surely, one of the teams could have taken a chance and got themselves an explosive top-order batter but it wasn't to be for the Australian.
Tabraiz Shamsi (Base price of Rs 1 crore):
The South African spinner showed what he is capable of in the ODIs against India. In the T20I format, Shamsi is the second-ranked bowler but despite his credentials, teams shockingly showed zero interest in him.
At 1 crore, surely Shamsi would have been a steal.