IPL Auction 2023: Best Unsold XI

IPL Auction 2023: Best Unsold XI

Paul Stirling

Abhimanyu Easwaran

Abhimanyu Easwaran is a name that has been setting the domestic circuit on fire for nearly a decade. The Bengal player was roped in as Rohit Sharma’s replacement in India’s recently concluded Test series against Bangladesh. The 27-year-old has played only 27 T20s, but already has a century to his name in the format. He also has an average of above 38, which speaks of his consistency. He went unsold in the IPL auction in 2023.

Dawid Malan

England’s Dawid Malan was the top-ranked batsman in T20 internationals until just a few months ago. He may have dropped to the 6th spot, but was part of the England squad that won the T20 World Cup 2022 this year. He was bought by Punjab Kings in the 2021 auction but took the field in only one match where he score 26 runs. The technically-sound southpaw was the leading run-scorer in The Hundred this year but went unsold in the IPL auction 2023

Priyank Panchal

Priyank Panchal captains Gujarat in the domestic circuit and has also led India A in several tournaments. The 32-year-old has scored nearly 1,500 runs in T20s at an average of above 30 in 55 T20s. He also brings another important aspect to the table – his leadership qualities. He went unsold in the IPL auction in 2023. He averages 41.12 in List A and 45.3 in First Class games.

Priyam Garg

While the young Priyam Garg has been praised by several for his talent and technique, he has failed to live up to those expectations in the IPL. He was picked by the Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2020, a year after the India U19 side led by Priyam Garg finished as runners-up in the World Cup.

The 22-year-old has the technique to accelerate after a flying start, and can also hunker down in case of a top-order collapse. He went unsold in the IPL auction in 2023. He has scored 251 runs in 21 games in IPL averaging 15.69.

Mohammad Nabi (C)

According to the ICC Rankings, Mohammad Nabi is the second-best all-rounder in the T20s. So it was surprising to see the Afghanistan player not picked by any franchise at the IPL 2023 auction. In 17 games in the IPL, Mohammad Nabi has scored 180 runs and picked up 13 wickets.

He can tonk the ball and can also bowl at any phase of the game, which makes him a perfect fit on our team. Nabi has immense experience captaining his national side and would be best suited to don the captain’s hat in the unsold XI too. He went unsold in the IPL auction 2023.

Mohammed Azharuddeen (WK)

Mohammed Azharuddeen, a wicketkeeper, is a fearless batsman and was expected to go for the big bucks. He shot into the limelight when he scored a 37-ball century (54 ball 137*) in a Syed Mushtaq Ali game in 2021 and was roped in by Royal Challengers Bangalore for INR 20 lakh at IPL 2021 auction but didn’t get a game.

He has an impressive strike rate of about 135 in T20s and his flamboyance makes him the right pick to score brisk runs in the death overs. He went unsold in the IPL auction 2023.

Chris Jordan

Chris Jordan was another player from the England T20 World Cup-winning side who could not find a deal at the IPL 2023 auction. Recovering from a finger injury, Chris Jordan played in the semifinal and final of the T20 World Cup 2022 and picked five wickets across both matches. Chris Jordan is known as a specialist death bowler.

He is also a capable lower-order batsman and a gun fielder, making him of great value to the team. He went unsold in the IPL auction in 2023 despite picking 27 scalps in 28 IPL games.

Shreyas Gopal

Shreyas Gopal has represented Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, and the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. He has picked 49 wickets in the marquee tournament in as many IPL matches averaging 26.16. The leg-spinner is also handy with the bat. He went unsold in the IPL auction 2023.

Sandeep Sharma

Sandeep Sharma can swing the ball both ways and has demolished the top-order of several IPL sides since making his debut for the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in 2013. The 34-year-old used to be a key member of the Kings’ XI pace attack and has also represented the Sunrisers Hyderabad. He has taken 114 wickets in the tournament playing 104 games and has a decent economy rate of 7.7. He went unsold in the IPL auction 2023.

Varun Aaron

The speedster from Jharkhand was part of the Gujarat Titans side that lifted the IPL trophy earlier this year. However, Varun Aaron played only two matches and picked up as many wickets. He possesses a raw pace and can rattle the best of batsmen. He went unsold in the IPL auction 2023. The pacer has 44 scalps from 52 IPL games averaging 33.66.

Virat Kohli | Rohit Sharma | Rishabh Pant | KL Rahul | Suryakumar Yadav | Sanju Samson | Shreyas Iyer | Yuzvendra Chahal | Jasprit Bumrah