The 2023 IPL auction will take place on December 23 in Kochi. The BCCI will hold a mini-auction for the upcoming season, as opposed to the previous season’s mega-auction in February.
Teams have parted ways with players who were not in their plans for the future in order to restructure their rosters. The list of released players includes numerous established T20 performers, and some of them are projected to be in great demand at the IPL 2023 auction. However, there are a handful that may not pique the franchises’ attention and therefore get unsold.
1. Ajinkya Rahane
Ajinkya Rahane might go unsold at the IPL 2023 auctions. At the mega-auction, KKR paid one crore for the former Rajasthan Royals captain. Rahane was criticized for his poor strike rate and inability to get his side off to a good start. Last season, the 34-year-old scored 133 runs in seven matches. Rahane has scored 300+ runs since 2012, however in the last three editions, he has only scored 254 runs in 18 matches.
2. Varun Aaron
With the exception of the seventh iteration of the lucrative T20 tournament, Varun Aaron did not exactly have a standout bowling performance in the IPL. To improve their bowling attack, Gujarat Titans recruited the ace pacer in the 2022 super auction, but he was an underwhelming addition. If he goes unsold in the upcoming auction, it might not come as a surprise.
3. Aaron Finch
Due to his dismal batting performance, Australia’s T20I skipper Aaron Finch might go unsold at the auction. The 35-year-old has seen ups and downs while playing for nearly every side in the IPL, which is a lucrative tournament. In the 2021 auctions, Finch wasn’t purchased. Prior to KKR selecting him at the last minute for 1.5 crores, he was also passed over in the 2022 auction. The opener, though, failed to live up to the confidence placed in him, scoring only 86 runs in five games.
4. Dwayne Bravo
The sight of Dwayne Bravo’s name on the list of released players was the biggest surprise for the fans. The 39-year-old played for CSK for ten years and currently leads the IPL in wickets taken. Bravo has taken 183 wickets, but given his age, it seems doubtful that any team will select him.
5. Tim Seifert
Tim Seifert was released by DC prior to the 2023 IPL auction, therefore he will go under the hammer at the much-anticipated event in December. The New Zealand batsman has not been at his best recently. He played in the Caribbean Premier League 2022 for Trinbago Knight Riders, scoring 221 runs in 10 games at a strike rate of 93.24. Given his lack of form, IPL franchises may not be interested in signing him.
