The IPL auction on Tuesday was limited in scope. A maximum of 70 players could be bought by the eight franchises, with just 20 slots for overseas players as a majority of the squads had been selected by the teams earlier in the year during the main auction.
Budgets were tight and some not so well-known names were in the auction pool, alongside retired stars and players released by the franchises. Even so, a few were expected to elicit interest from franchises. However, as is the case almost every year, the franchises sprang a few surprises with their decisions. Here are three players who were surprisingly overlooked.
MANOJ TIWARY
Wondering wat went wrong on my part after getting Man of a match award wen I scored a hundred 4 my country and got dropped for the next 14 games on a trot ?? Looking at d awards which I received during 2017 IPL season, wondering wat went wrong ??? pic.twitter.com/GNInUe0K3l
— MANOJ TIWARY (@tiwarymanoj) December 18, 2018
The India batsman has had a tough time holding on to his spot. When he was part of the national squad, opportunities were few and far between. In fact, in 2011 he scored an unbeaten century against the West Indies but ended up playing only two ODIs in the next three years. And now he has met with a similar fate in the IPL. The Bengal batsman was among the top performers in the 2017 IPL season for Rising Pune Supergiants. He was one of the architects of the team’s run to the final, scoring 324 runs. Also, in 2012 it was Tiwary who hit successive boundaries in a tense final over to win the IPL title for Kolkata Knight Riders.
However, in the auction for the 2019 IPL, Tiwary found no takers. He took to social media to ask the BCCI and IPL “what went wrong on my part”. And his anger seems justified as someone like Yuvraj Singh – who is well past his prime – continues to attract bids.
HAZRATULLAH ZAZAI
Hazratullah Zazai. Image – Cricket Ireland/Twitter.
If you hit six sixes in an over in a T20, chances are T20 franchises will be after your signature. Afghanistan’s hard-hitting batsman Hazratullah Zazai hit six sixes in an over in the Afghanistan Premier League in Sharjah in October for Kabul Zwanan against Balkh Legends with a certain Chris Gayle in the opposition.
Before that, Zazai had cracked 124 from 55 balls opening the innings against Nangarhar Leopards with nine hits over the fence. And he is just 20. But his incredible six-hitting ability and superlative bat speed did not count for much as Zazai went unsold in the auction. You have got to question the reasoning behind the decision as Australia’s Ashton Turner got picked despite not having an exceptional record with the bat or ball in T20s.
ADAM ZAMPA
Adam Zampa. Image: BCCI
It is surprising that not one went for the Australian leg-spinner. Zampa had Indian batsmen in knots during the recent T20 series, picking up three wickets in two matches. He comprehensively deceived Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma in the series, which should have piqued the interest of some franchises. Zampa has an impressive record, picking up 19 wickets in 11 matches at an economy of less than eight.
But Zampa did not get any takers in 2019 auction even though leg spinners are integral to bowling in T20s in India. The only hope for Zampa is for a spot to open up before the IPL starts.
