1214 players register for ITL mega auction; Chris Gayle, Ben Stokes among notable absentees
Chris Gayle (Image source: Getty Images)
A total of 1,214 players have registered their names for the mega auction for the Indian T20 League. A total of 896 local players, 318 overseas players will go under the hammer ahead of the 15h edition of the Indian T20 League. The list includes players from Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and a few other countries.
The list has 270 capped players, 903 uncapped players, and 41 associate players. As many as 59 players from Australia have registered themselves, which is the highest number of players from a country. South Africa is not too far behind, with 48 players.
Sri Lanka (36), England (30), New Zealand (29), and Afghanistan (20) are next on the list. Players from smaller cricketing countries like Namibia, the USA, Nepal, and Oman also have registered for the event.
The teams have retained/picked a total of 33 players before the auction. The existing eight teams retained a total of 27 players, while the two new teams signed six players from the draft.
This mega auction will give an opportunity to players from smaller cricketing nations to be a part of the grand event. At the same time, it has given a chance to every team to rebuild their squads.
Meanwhile, in a disappointing development, a few big names will miss the upcoming season. Among the notable absentees are Ben Stokes, Chris Gayle, Jofra Archer, Chris Woakes, Mitchell Starc among others
The auction is scheduled to take place in Bangalore on the 12th and the 13th of February.
Country-wise list of overseas players:
Australia: 59
South Africa: 48
West Indies: 41
Sri Lanka: 36
England: 30
New Zealand: 29
Afghanistan: 20
Nepal: 15
USA: 14
Bangladesh: 9
Namibia: 5
Ireland: 3
Oman: 3
Zimbabwe: 2
Bhutan: 1
Netherlands: 1
Scotland: 1
UAE: 1
