Earlier in the week, all 10 IPL franchises released a total of 85 players from their squads from the IPL 2022, and most of them are likely to go back in the IPL 2023 auction pool. The IPL 2023 mini-auction is slated for December 23 in Kochi.
Many of the released players are international stars, having established themselves in world cricket. However, owing to various reasons, the franchises decided to let them go. Those might be the same reason that they won’t find a buyer at the upcoming IPL 2023 mini-auction.
Here are 3 international stars who are released and might not get sold at the IPL 2023 auction:
Kane Williamson
There is a big cloud of doubt and criticism and speculation looming over Kane Williamson and his future in the T20 format, at least in the IPL. While his position as batter and captain remains unquestionable in the New Zealand side, Williamson suffered the ruthlessness of auction dynamics and the franchise’s need for only the best and useful as SRH released him a season after retaining him for 14 crore in the first retention bracket while making Rashid Khan unhappy and letting him go.
However, Kane Williamson is having a torrid time in T20 cricket this year: he had an average of 19 and a dismal strike rate of 93 in IPL 2022, and has a strike rate of 109 in all T20s in 2022. SRH also finished 8th in the 10-team IPL 2022 under Williamson. SRH also would have thought of his 14 crore price tag to be too much of worth for a non-performing player would, and they released him.
The question now remains is who would want to buy Williamson? While he brings plenty of experience and calmness as a captain, as a T20 batter, his form has been poor and, in fact, his slow-ish knocks have been counter-effective and many have recently come in match-losing causes.
Not to forget that Steve Smith had gone unsold in the last auction despite being a big name in world cricket and a former IPL captain. It could well be Kane Williamson in the upcoming auction.
Mohammad Nabi
KKR had bought Afghanistan veteran Mohammad Nabi in the IPL 2022 mega-auction at his base price of 1 crore, but the all-rounder couldn’t get a single game for KKR and was released. In fact, Nabi has barely played in the IPL during his time at SRH either: Nabi featured in just 4 matches combined during the 2020 and 2021 seasons for SRH, and none for KKR in 2022.
So clearly, the franchises have realized that Nabi may be a starter for Afghanistan, but his form in the recent couple of years has been on a downward curve.
In T20Is in 2022, Mohammad Nabi’s batting average is only 11 and his bowling average is 30, having taken only 11 wickets in 18 matches. It now feels really difficult to see any team pick the 38-year-old Nabi.
Ajinkya Rahane
It was Cheteshwar Pujara in the mega-auction who went unsold; it could be Ajinkya Rahane in the 2-2023 auction as the Test veteran would find it difficult to not only get in the playing XI, but even in the squads of the IPL franchises because of a spate of younger, and more aggressive top-order batters.
Rahane was with KKR last season, picked up at his base price of 1 crore with no other franchise willing to make a bid for the senior batter. In 7 matches, Rahane scored 133 runs at a poor strike rate of 103 – much worse than what he’d managed in earlier seasons, and looks terrible for an opener – before an injury ruled him out of the remainder of the season.
Every franchise now has proper young Indian and overseas openers and their backups who are willing to put risks on their wickets and play with freedom, aiming for boundaries, while Rahane’s T20 game hasn’t evolved. There seems little chance that Rahane will get a franchise at the IPL 2023 auction.
