IPL auctions and their strange disinterest in top-ranked Twenty20 bowlers

Ajit Vijaykumar 07:47 30/01/2018
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  • The IPL auction can be a painful to watch for some of the players involved. Will franchises even bid? Will life change overnight with a million dollars or so in the account? It can all prove to be a major distraction, especially if the players are playing competitive cricket at the time.

    Since auctions are dictated by franchises’ own needs and player analysis, it is difficult to say with certainty which names will get the fattest contracts. Even so, some decisions do leave cricket fans and experts scratching their heads days after the end of the sale.

    For two straight years, franchises have not selected the top-ranked T20 bowler in the world. What’s more, both are leg-spinners.

    In 2017, South African leggie Imran Tahir went unsold during the auction despite being the No1 bowler in the world in T20s and even ODIs. Luckily for him, he was later signed as a replacement by Rising Pune Supergiant for injured Aussie all-rounder Mitchell Marsh.

    Tahir went on to enjoy a stellar IPL 2017. In 12 matches, he picked up 18 wickets at an economy of 7.8. This year, Tahir was snapped up by Chennai Super Kings.

  • Joe Root heads the Unwanted XI of the 2018 IPL player auction

  • But while the 38-year-old Tahir was ‘bought’, Kiwi leggie Ish Sodhi failed to elicit any response during the two-day auction this week.

    Sodhi has played 87 T20 matches with 97 wickets to his name at an economy of 7.6. In 21 international matches, Sodhi has 31 scalps at an economy of 7.1. Are we missing something here?

    There can be a lot of reasons why a player, especially a non-Indian, doesn’t get picked. The main reason is teams can only field four foreign names in the playing XI. Even so, not picking the No1 T20 bowler in the world (at least at first go) who happens to be a leg-spinner for two straight years doesn’t reflect too well on the collective wisdom of the franchises.

    Sodhi has now slipped to No3 in the world in T20s. Such is life.

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