IPL 2024 Auction: Five Big Names That May Go Unsold

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 Auction is scheduled on December 19 in Dubai. Teams have submitted their shortlists and a final list of 333 players out of the initial pool of 1166 have been selected to go under the hammer. Many players will be looking for their big IPL payday at the auction. But many will have to leave disappointed. Here is a list of five such big names that may go unsold at the IPL 2024 Auction.

Umesh Yadav

Umesh Yadav can rock batting line-ups with his raw pace. His 288 international wickets and 136 IPL wickets are a testament to this fact.

However, at 36, Umesh Yadav has dropped some of that lethal pace. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) played Umesh Yadav in eight matches in the 2023 edition of the league. However, the pacer managed just a single wicket and conceded 189 runs at an economy of 9.95.

It did not come as a surprise when Umesh Yadav was released by the Kolkata-based after his performance in IPL 16.

Umesh Yadav has set his base price at Rs 2 crore in the IPL 2024 auction, which is the highest price bracket. This will make it difficult for teams to justify picking him, given his recent performances.

Josh Hazelwood

Josh Hazelwood's release from the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) came as a big surprise to the fans of the franchise. The tall Australian was an integral part of the ODI World Cup 2023 winning team. He picked up 16 wickets in the tournament, making him the team's most successful pacer.

Clarifying the team's decision to release Hazelwood, RCB's newly appointed Head Coach Andy Flower mentioned that the pacer has a baby on the way and would probably miss the entire first part of IPL 17. There are even some speculations that he could miss the tournament entirely. The question over his availability might make teams sceptical about bidding for the fast bowler at the auction.

Manish Pandey

Manish Pandey's talent with the bat has been unquestionable since his debut on the big stage. He even justified the faith shown by franchises in his talent by scoring a century in just his second IPL season.

However, a series of average performances in the past two seasons has left him on thin ice. He averaged 17.78 and 14.67 in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, respectively.

He was released by the Delhi Capitals ahead of the mini-auction given his poor run of form. Some teams could use a good middle-order option, but it remains to be seen if they will want to trust Pandey with that responsibility.

Kyle Jamieson

New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson made waves at the IPL 2021 auction by becoming the second-most expensive player to go under the hammer. He was picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore for a staggering Rs 15 crore.

Though Jamieson was still untested in the shortest format at that point, the teams were impressed by the pace and the bounce he was able to generate.

Jamieson picked up nine wickets in as many matches in his debut IPL season but was a bit expensive with an economy of 9.6. He ended up missing the next two seasons due to injury, which raised some questions over his fitness. He is now back in the auction pool but teams may stay away from the pacer, given his previous record of injuries and instead go for a lesser-known player who can deliver consistently. Kyle Jamieson has registered for a base price of Rs 1 crore for the IPL 2024 Auction.

Steve Smith

Steve Smith's exclusion from the 2022 edition of the IPL was a big surprise to cricket fans. The Australian batter has been one of the mainstays of the team's middle-order. He also has 2485 IPL runs to his name, including a century and 11 fifties.

Steve Smith missed the next edition of the league owing to an injury. He wasn't even a part of the auction pool, instead focussing on commentating for the big event.

This season, Steve Smith has put his hat in the ring once again and comes with the tag of being an ODI World Cup winner. But his absence from the league for so long, as well as the availability of younger players, could result in Steve Smith missing out on a spot in an IPL team yet again.