LONDON - England captains Joe Root and Eoin Morgan were surprisingly snubbed by Indian Premier League franchises on Sunday as the auction for the 2018 season concluded.
Root, 27, went unsold on Saturday and failed to attract a single bid for reinstatement as a lot when bidding resumed on Sunday despite his batting average of 39.1 being second only to India’s Virat Kohli when it comes to Twenty20 internationals.
Morgan, a seasoned IPL participant was also overlooked as the eight franchises looked for new blood.
Chris Gayle, comfortably the most prolific T20 batsmen in history, went under the hammer three times in Bangalore before being picked up.
Ben Stokes was once again the competition’s most expensive import, sealing a £1.38million contract with Rajasthan Royals following his £1.7m deal with Pune in 2017.
But in a sign that fewer risks were being taken this year, paceman Tymal Mills did not get a deal. Twelve months ago, at £1.4m, he was second only to Stokes among foreign earners.
Sam Billings, signed by the Super Kings, will now miss Kent’s first five County Championship matches despite only being appointed captain a fortnight ago.