Indian Premier League 2017 auction, Bengaluru: A playing XI of unsold players

While franchise owners dug deep into their pockets for Ben Stokes and Tymal Mills at IPL 2017 auction, the likes of Imran Tahir, Ishant Sharma and Irfan Pathan failed to attract any bids.

New Delhi: While the likes of Ben Stokes and Tymal Mills were on cloud nine after Indian Premier League (IPL) 10 auction, it was a heartbreak moment for several cricketers who failed to attract any bids at the event which saw plenty of action. (IPL 10 auction: As it happened...)

Considering the fact that seven Indian players are a part of the playing XI, it was quite surprising to see none of the franchises bid for Ishant Sharma, Irfan Pathan and Pragyan Ojha. The three cricketers have plenty of experience under their belt and are likely to perform much better than uncapped Indian players.

In the batting department, Cheteshwar Pujara was one big name which went unsold. He might be a Test specialist, but the Saurashtra cricketer is one of those batsmen who can provide stability from one end in the shortest format of the game. T20s might be about hitting big strokes, but at the same time, it's crucial for a team to have a batsman who can hold wicket from one end.

Among overseas players, Imran Tahir remaining unsold was the biggest shock of the auction. The South African leggie, who represented Delhi Daredevils last year, is one of the most formidable spinners in world cricket at the moment. How good has been his form in T20Is can be ascertained from the fact that he is currently ranked No. 1 in ICC bowlers' rankings.

Marlon Samuels is another overseas player, who could have proved to be a major asset for any franchise. He is one of the finest hitters in the shortest format and can also chip with a few overs when required.

Unmukt Chand (base price Rs 30 lakhs), Alex Hales (base price Rs 1 cr), Cheteshwar Pujara (base price Rs 50 lakhs), Marlon Samuels (base price Rs 1 cr), James Neesham (base price Rs 50 lakhs), Irfan Pathan (base price Rs 50 lakhs), Dishant Yagnik (base price Rs 20 lakhs), Ishant Sharma (base price Rs 2 cr), Pragyan Ojha (base price Rs 30 lakhs), Imran Tahir (base price Rs 50 lakhs), RP Singh (base price INR 30 lakhs)

Note: The entire cost of this playing XI is Rs 7.10 crore!