5 players who were expected to be unsold but got an IPL 2023 contract

The format of the auction is such that you can never completely agree if the bid corresponds to the quality of the player. In most cases, it depends on the requirement of the franchises. This could also force teams to sometimes make some unlikely bids. In this article, we take a look at five players who were expected to be unsold but got an IPL 2023 contract.

Panic buys are common in auctions. At times, franchises also make signings that are hard to comprehend. We saw some such buys in the recent auctions. Let's talk more about it in the below headings:

1) Litton Das - Kolkata Knight Riders

Yes, Litton Das is a fine cricketer but there are concerns if he can be consistent in a tournament like the IPL. Especially since KKR had R Gurbaz as the other keeper, KKR might have needed more experience in the other player who will compete for the role. Moreover, it is only after Litton's knock against India in the T20 World Cup that made him a buzzing name at the auctions. Or else, it could have been yet another unsuccessful auction for him.

2) Ajinkya Rahane - Chennai Super Kings

Ajinkya Rahane is one of the players who were expected to be unsold but got an IPL 2023 contract. Rahane was poor for KKR last season. Yes, he did decently well in the SMAT but considering his age and recent IPL form, teams would usually stay away from such a cricketer. However, surprisingly, CSK hired the cricketer at his base price. It will be interesting to see how the franchise makes use of the cricketer now.

3) Mohit Sharma - Gujarat Titans

Mohit Sharma was the net bowler for Gujarat Titans last season. After the last IPL, too, the veteran has not enjoyed a great run in domestic cricket. Yet, the franchise hired him to the main squad. Mohit may not get a chance in the XI because Shivam Mavi is also now a part of the unit.

4) Amit Mishra - Lucknow Super Giants

Amit Mishra is also one of the players who were expected to be unsold but got an IPL 2023 contract. The leggie is 40 years old and hardly has a few years left in his career. LSG already has Ravi Bishnoi as the lead spinner and they could have tried someone younger as his backup. However, Amit Mishra is now in the squad. This signing was also not expected by many.

5) Kyle Jamieson - Chennai Super Kings

Kyle Jamieson had a poor outing when he played last time in the IPL. In recent months, he has had injury issues and he was anyways not part of the New Zealand squad in T20Is. Considering these factors, most teams would not have bid for Jamieson, who is coming back from an injury. However, despite needing an experienced name to replace Bravo, CSK got Kyle Jamieson on board. It was an extremely surprising signing at the end of the auctions.