The final list of the 2024 Indian Premier League player auction is out and cricket fans are all excited to witness the business event to be held in Dubai on December 19. A total of 333 players have been shortlisted for the auction, of which 214 are Indians and 119 are foreigners.
Of 119 overseas players, some eminent names are unlikely to get buyers in the auction. Their recent numbers and overall IPL records aren’t impressive which may not convince the franchises to invest money in them. Before the auction in Dubai, let’s have a glance at five players who are the favourites to break into the unsold list of the 2024 auction.
Here are the five overseas players that might go unsold in the auction
5. Ben Cutting
Australia's Ben Cutting is remembered among IPL supporters for his 39-run knock off 15 deliveries for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 2016 final. Following that season, the Aussie never looked dominating with his bat in the cash-rich tournament.
In 2017, he donned Hyderabad’s jersey again and could score only 51 runs in four matches. Noting his disappointing show, SRH parted ways with him after the season. In the 2018 auction, Mumbai Indians (MI) signed him up for INR 2.2 crores but he failed to justify the amount, with his disastrous performances in the 2018 and 2019 instalments of the league.
Cutting has registered his name for the 2024 IPL auction and his reserved amount will be INR 50 lakh. However, his recent batting numbers might obstruct his chances of participating in the competition. In the last 12 months, he has played in four leagues but failed to produce anything big for his teams.
4. David Wiese
David Wiese represented Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the last IPL season but failed to do much for the team. Playing three matches, he scored only 21 runs from his bat in two innings. With the ball, he didn’t get any wickets and gave away runs at an expensive economy of 12.66.
Noting his dismal performance, the KKR team management got rid of him before the 2024 auction and now, his name will also go under the hammer with his base price of INR 1 crore, on December 19. Recently, the Namibia player played for Deccan Gladiators in the 2023-24 Abu Dhabi T10 League.
In the competition, he played seven games and consistently failed to provide effective innings to his team. Wiese’s underwhelming performance makes him unlikely to get picked up by any franchises at the business event.
3. Jason Holder
Rajasthan Royals (RR) axed the West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder from their team in November and the Caribbean player will also look to get a new side in the upcoming auction. Holder didn’t perform upto expectations for Royals in 2023 which led to his removal from the squad.
Appearing in eight games of the 2023 IPL, the Windies stalwart racked up 12 runs and four wickets in eight matches. Holder’s basic amount will be INR 1.5 crore in the upcoming auction but observing his performance in the last two seasons, no franchise might show interest in signing him up at this amount.
Back in 2022, Holder performed horrendously in Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) colours as well. Wearing LSG’s jersey, he scored 58 runs in 12 matches at an economy of 9.67. With the ball, he claimed 14 wickets but a terrible economy of 9.42. His consistent failures may keep the franchises away from him in the auction.
2. James Neesham
New Zealand all-rounder James Neesham’s name will also be announced in the 2024 auction. The 33-year-old has played for Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals (DC), Punjab Kings (PBKS), and RR in the past but never justified his role in all the teams. Talking about his overall IPL numbers, the Kiwi stalwart has racked up 61 runs and eight wickets in 12 outings.
Recently, Neesham was seen in the 2023-24 Abu Dhabi T10 League and disappointed his team Northern Warriors, with his below-par performances. In seven games, he scored 88 runs and picked up only eight wickets. His bowling economy was above 10.00 while his batting average was under 18.00.
1. Tim Southee
After failing to make it to Kolkata Knight Riders’ retention list in November, New Zealand’s veteran pacer Tim Southee will also look to get a purchaser in the auction. The 35-year-old has played a lot of cricket in the cash-rich league but his terrible form might catapult him on the list of unsold players in the upcoming business event.
In the last season, the New Zealander played two matches and got only two wickets at an economy of 13.17. Following his disheartening bowling display, Knight Riders benched him for the remaining season. The veteran failed to be impactful with the ball in the 2023 World Cup as well, scalping only seven wickets in four games.