The IPL auction threw up plenty of surprise omissions, with talented Phil Salt and top-ranked T20I bowler Adil Rashid being the biggest misses. Teams shelled huge amounts on the Australia duo Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, who went for over INR 20 crore each. While they bagged the jackpot, a few talented players missed out.

Wisden’s unsold overseas XI from the 2024 IPL auction

Phil Salt (wk)

Salt was left “confused” after his auction snub, moments after becoming only the second male player from a Full Member Nation to score successive T20I tons. He started playing T20Is for England last year, has made over 5,000 T20 runs at a strike rate of 153 (166 in T20Is). In the 2023 IPL, he played nine games for Delhi Capitals, making 218 runs at a strike rate of 164.

Finn Allen

Allen, 24, was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2021 after a stellar Super Smash season, where he ended as the leading run-scorer, but did not get a single game. He has played 99 T20s overall thus far with one hundred and 18 fifties at a strike rate of 168, the best for anyone with a thousand runs. He is also in sensational form, making 516 runs in the format this year at a strike rate over 153.

Colin Munro

The New Zealand big-hitter last played in the IPL in 2019, and has not been able to perform as expected in the league, playing only 13 games. Munro, who has three T20I tons, is a legend in the shortest format: He has made over 10,000 runs in 403 games, striking at 142, hitting five centuries and 61 fifties.

Steve Smith

Though Smith has a strike rate of 128 in T20Is, he started the year with successive Big Bash League hundreds, making him only the second batter in the league to achieve the feat. He also has plenty of experience and will be crucial to hold the innings together when needed.

Josh Inglis

The Australian wicketkeeper-batter has played only 15 T20Is but already has a hundred to his name. He has a strike rate of nearly 159, faring well in different conditions. Inglis can open the innings and can also play the role of a finisher, making him a useful addition to the XI.

Michael Bracewell

The left-hander is a powerful hitter down the order and also picked up six wickets in five games with his off-spin in the last IPL. He missed the World Cup due to an injury, with Rachin Ravindra replacing him, which could have gone against him getting a bid in the auction.

Jimmy Neesham

Though Neeshan has not fired in the IPL – he has a batting strike rate of 92 and only eight wickets in 12 games – he has been a match-winner for New Zealand. In 69 T20Is, he has a strike rate of over 158 and has also grabbed 35 wickets, and has struck at ver 140 in 48 percent of his T20Is.

Adil Rashid

The recently crowned No.1 T20I bowler found no takers with not many teams on the lookout for an overseas specialist spinner in their squad. Rashid has returned with fabulous numbers in the format and recently picked seven wickets in four games against the West Indies. This year, he has picked up 39 scalps at an economy rate of 7.46. He is also a handy hitter down the order.

Josh Hazlewood

Hazlewood saw his two teammates, Starc and Cummins, go for aplenty and missed out due to availability issues. His wife is expecting their child during the IPL months and the quick would only have been in India towards the end of the edition.

Matt Henry

The New Zealand pacer was lethal in the World Cup but was ruled out midway with an injury. He can bowl over 140 kph consistently, hitting the hard lengths, and is tough to get away on his day.

Keshav Maharaj

Currently the No.1 ODI bowler, Maharaj has been economical and effective across his 27 T20Is. He has conceded only 7.38 runs an over in T20Is, which drops to 6.83 in his 141 T20 outings.