Despite 271 players being sold in the IPL 2022 mega auction, there were some big names that failed to find a bidder. Here are the top 5 stars who might have reached the end of the road when it comes to the cash-rich league.
Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina not being bid for by any franchise left his fans shocked. The southpaw had a base price of ₹2 crore and not even CSK tried to get him back despite buying back most of their previous stars. Interestingly, the Super Kings were left with ₹2.95 crore in their purse at the end of the auction.
Ishant Sharma
Another veteran Indian who went unsold in the auction was Ishant Sharma. The fast bowler, who had a base price of ₹1.5 crore, has had a dip in his career lately. Reports suggest that the selectors have moved ahead of him in Test cricket and Ishant also opted out of the Ranji Trophy. Injuries in the last 2 seasons of the IPL also hampered his selection.
Piyush Chawla
Piyush Chawla also failed to find any bidders. After being picked up by CSK in the previous auction, the leg spinner didn't have great outings in the limited opportunities he got. Interestingly, he is the 2nd-highest wicket-taker in the history of the IPL among spinners but it seems that his time may be up.
Saurabh Tiwary
Saurabh Tiwary, who was once being compared to MS Dhoni at the start of his career, also went unsold in the IPL 2022 mega auction. The southpaw from Jharkhand used to play for the Mumbai Indians up till now but a poor strike rate of 120 and fitness issues might have gone against the 32-year-old. Though he still has a few years to bounce back but chances of that look very bleak.
Dhawal Kulkarni
Another Indian pacer who will not feature in this year's IPL is Dhawal Kulkarni. The fast bowler from Mumbai may be a force in domestic cricket but it seems that franchises don't want to invest their trust in him anymore. Kulkarni has so far played for 3 IPL teams but didn't get many chances in the last 2 editions, where he didn't pick any wicket.
Also read: IPL 2022 Mega Auction: top buys of the auction in Bengaluru