5 Players Who Were Undervalued in IPL 2023 Auction

On December 23, the IPL 2023 auction concluded. At the headline event, the 10 competing organisations paid a total of INR 167 crores to recruit 80 players. Many top-tier players, including Sam Curran, Ben Stokes, and Cameron Green, were auctioned off, and teams competed to sign them.

However, after repeatedly asserting their dominance on the cricket pitch, several players failed to pique the interest of clubs during the auction. And fans saw these players go away with much less money.

Here are five players who should have gotten more money in the IPL 2023 auction.

 

Number 1. Vidhwath Kaverappa

 

 

Vidhwath Kaverappa’s spectacular bowling exploits have lit up the Indian domestic circuit. He created havoc in the 2022 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy season, taking 18 wickets in eight games for Karnataka at a great economy of 6.36.

In the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022, Kaverappa maintained his outstanding form, taking 17 wickets in eight matches at an economy of 3.53. At the outset of the innings, he made the ball speak and gave his team with early breakthroughs. In the slog overs, the ace pacer also delivered.

Given Kaverappa’s spectacular ascent in the local arena, it was believed that he would get large money at the IPL 2023 auction, but that was not to be. At the occasion, Punjab Kings paid just INR 20 lakh for his efforts.

 

Number 2. Narayan Jagadeesan

 

 

In the Indian domestic circuit, Narayan Jagadeesan has been a reliable name. The 27-year-old has appeared in 44 List-A matches and amassed 2090 runs at a 49.76 average. In the shortest format, he has 1064 runs in 51 games with a strike rate of 118.61.

With his scorching exploits, Jagadeesan took the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022 by storm. He put on a show of his swashbuckling stroke play, smashing 830 runs in eight games at a strike rate of 125.37, including five blazing hundreds.

Jagadeesan has been in excellent form recently and has the ability to bat in both the top and middle orders. He also boasts a solid set of hands behind the stumps. As a result, when the wicketkeeper-batter went under the hammer during the auction, one expected teams to go all out to get him. However, there were few offers for the Coimbatore native, and he was sold to Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 90 lakh.

 

Number 3. Sikandar Raza

 

 

Sikandar Raza is regarded as one of Zimbabwe cricket’s best all-rounders. He has appeared in 158 T20 games, scoring 3109 runs with a strike rate of 129.81. On the field, the 36-year-old has 79 wickets at an economy rate of 7.34. He has also performed well in international cricket, amassing 1259 runs in 66 T20Is with a strike rate of 128.86 and taking 38 wickets for his team.

Raza’s amazing heroics lit up the T20 World Cup 2022. The batting all-rounder ran through excellent bowling attacks, scoring 219 runs in eight games at a strike rate of 147.97. He also dazzled hitters with his variations and took 10 wickets at an excellent economy rate of 6.50.

The Sialkot native has been in top form, and many anticipated the teams to spend big to get him. Only Punjab Kings were interested in signing Raza, as the great all-rounder could only garner INR 50 lakh at the just concluded player auction.

 

Number 4. Daniel Sams

 

 

Daniel Sams is a well-known figure on the T20 circuit. The 30-year-old has played 116 games in the shortest format, taking 135 wickets at an economy rate of 8.74. He has also scored 1092 runs with a whopping strike rate of 152.94. Sams has also shown his strength on the international stage. He has scored 106 runs in 10 T20Is with a strike rate of 170.96 and has taken seven wickets for Australia.

The ace all-rounder has a slew of variations under his sleeve, and batsmen have found him tricky to deal with, particularly at the tail end of innings. Sams has also shown his ability with the new ball and delivered early successes for his team. Furthermore, he is more than capable with the bat and has shown his hitting prowess on several times.

Sams is a significant asset to any team because of his ability to contribute in all areas. He also adds diversity to the bowling attack as a left-arm pacer. As a result, when the Australian all-rounder appeared at the auction, it was expected that clubs would go hammer and tongs to get him. But only the Lucknow Super Giants were interested in the Milperra-born player, and he was signed for INR 75 lakh.

 

Number 5. Shakib Al Hasan

 

 

Shakib Al Hasan has been a titan of a player in the game’s shortest format. The 35-year-old has played 383 T20 matches and scored 6301 runs with a strike rate of 122.18. On the bowling department, he has a staggering 433 wickets at an economy of 6.82.

With both bat and ball, the experienced cricketer has been a match-winner for Bangladesh in all forms. Shakib has scored 2243 runs in 109 T20Is with a strike rate of 121.76 and taken 128 wickets at an economy rate of 6.83.

The elite all-rounder can bat superbly while also quickly switching gears to demolish any bowling attack. Shakib has the ability to bowl at any stage of the game. Furthermore, his presence adds a wealth of expertise to a team.

A player of Shakib’s level is a valuable asset to any team, and one would expect teams to compete for him. However, no club other than the Kolkata Knight Riders was interested in signing the outstanding all-rounder, as the southpaw only fetched INR 1.5 crore during the auction.