England batter Phil Salt admitted to being “confused” after going unsold at the IPL 2024 auction, which preceded his belligerent 57-ball 119 against West Indies in the Tarouba T20I.

Phil Salt followed his 109 not out from earlier this week with another T20I century on Tuesday, powering England to a record total of 267-3, the fifth-highest score in men’s T20I history. It came hours after the end of the 2024 IPL auction, which gave six English players new contracts. Salt, however, went unsold for his base price of INR 1.5 crore.

Speaking after England’s 75-run win, which has turned the fifth T20I into a decider, Salt said he had expected to be picked up by one of the ten franchises but was left to deal with a “confusing morning”.

“I expected to be picked up, having gone there last year and done well and after the year that I’ve had, but these things happen. It’s part of the lottery of an auction, it happens in draft processes as well. There’s [sic] a few lads in our dressing room who are going to have a very good Christmas and I’m over the moon for them.

“I was a bit confused but it can happen. There’s no bad cricketers on the list at the IPL. It’s one of those things.”

🔝 England's highest T20I total
💯 Phil Salt becomes the second Full Member batter to go back to back
6️⃣ The most sixes in a bilateral T20I series

Records have fallen in droves at Trinidad.#WIvENGhttps://t.co/AdwQWerQTh

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) December 19, 2023

On a day when two of the biggest ever purchases in auction history were made, Salt was one of four England players to go unsold, alongside Adil Rashid, Tymal Mills and Luke Wood.

Salt’s first IPL season was 2023, where he played nine matches for Delhi Capitals, hitting two fifties and striking at 164. The Capitals finished second to last on the points table.

Salt admitted that the snub played a part in inspiring him to crack a second T20I ton in three days. “It was probably a little bit of it, subconsciously. I’m very aware of how lucky I am to be here playing cricket. I’m playing good cricket, I’m doing what I came out here to do. More importantly than that, the boys have really pulled together and shown what a good team we are. The West Indies are a very good side that we’re playing against so to win back-to-back games and force the decider in a couple of days’ time, I’m chuffed.”

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