During the Indian Premier League, most of the Indian cricketers will be engaged in the tournament. While it is expected that a few domestic players might miss out on the league, it is surprising when capped Indians do not make the cut. Again, if these players had played for India very long back and are not part of the scene now, it is understandable. However, in some scenarios, there are players who were part of Team India in the last year and yet, they have not got a chance in IPL. Even if the player has been part of only Test cricket, a few feel they deserve a chance because they will have the traditional skills that could find success in the T20 format. On that note, in this article, we take a look at four players who went unsold for IPL 2022 despite representing Team India in the last one year.
1) Sandeep Warrier – T20I
Tamil Nadu speedster Sandeep Warrier is one of the players who went unsold for IPL 2022 despite representing Team India in the last year. In July 2021, Warrier made his debut for Team India. He was part of the playing XI that clashed with Sri Lanka. Since then, the player has not got a chance with India.
It is surprising that although he might have played for a second-string Indian squad, he has not got an IPL contract, at least, even at his base price. Warrier has played for Kolkata Knight Riders in recent seasons. He has not been able to do well and for Tamil Nadu, as well, he has been inconsistent. This might have made him go unsold at the auctions.
2) Hanuma Vihari – Test
Hanuma Vihari is India’s new No.3 in Tests. The Hyderabad cricketer recently played for India against Sri Lanka. However, in recent years, Vihari has not played in IPL. This is despite him doing decently well in limited-overs domestic competitions.
The player might be known for his big-hitting but does possess skills that can be utilized at the opening spot in T20 cricket. He has experience playing for India and can also offer a few overs of off-spin. Such multi-dimensional cricketers are preferred in IPL but it is surprising that no one has looked at Vihari as a product that can be developed. The batter has now signed up for the upcoming Dhaka Premier League.
3) Cheteshwar Pujara – Test
The Saurashtra cricketer was not part of Team India that took on Sri Lanka recently. However, he was in the Test squad that went to South Africa. Pujara played all three Test encounters in the Rainbow Nation.
Last season, Pujara was part of the CSK outfit that won the trophy. The franchise had got him at his base price but could not offer him a game. Now, Pujara’s form is dismal and this might have prompted teams to not go after him. The player has signed up to play in the upcoming County Season.
4) Ishant Sharma – Test
Ishant Sharma is also one of the players who went unsold for IPL 2022 despite being part of Team India recently. The tall pacer last participated against New Zealand in November 2021. He was recently dropped for the series against Sri Lanka.
Ishant was decent when he turned up for Delhi Capitals a few years ago. He is an experienced cricketer and can make an impact at the start of an innings. For his experience, at least, it was expected that a few teams would be interested. However, that has not happened. Ishant will now want to improve his form in domestic cricket and execute a comeback.
