Analysis
3 unsold players from ITL auction 2023 who will play in IND vs SL series
One of the players amassed 990 runs in T20s in 2022.
The mini-auction for the Indian T20 League took place in Kochi on December 23, 2022, and many Sri Lankan players went unsold in the auction, much to the dreariness of the Sri Lankan fans, despite the cricketers proving their potential in the Asia Cup 2022 that took place in the United Arab Emirates in September.
India are all set to take on the Island Nation for a three-match T20I and ODI series at home and the ousted Indian selection committee made their final-ever selection before making their way for the new committee. While all of the selected players from team India have an Indian T20 league contract, we decided to handpick three players from Sri Lanka who are part of the squad but went unsold in the auction.
Here are the three players:
1) Dasun Shanaka
Dasun Shanaka (Image Source: Twitter)
The Sri Lanka skipper, Dasun Shanaka, went unsold in the mini-auction despite his proven prowess in the shortest format of the game. Much to the dolefulness of the Sri Lankan fans, neither of the 10 franchises came forward to bid for the player, letting him go unsold and without a valuable opportunity to prove his might in the T20 extravaganza.
To add more to Shanaka’s record in the T20 format in 2022, the right-handed batter gathered 780 runs at an average of 26, in the 40 matches that he played and managed to rack up 14 wickets to his name as well, given that he is one of the best allrounders going around in the format at present.
2) Kusal Mendis
Kusal Mendis (Image Source: Twitter)
Kusal Mendis, the right-handed batter and wicketkeeper, is one of the best in the business regarding the shortest format of the game. To add more, there is not a single team in the world that would not have him in their squad barring the Indian T20 League franchises as they let the player go unsold in the mini-auction.
As far as Mendis’ records in the T20s are concerned in 2022, the Sri Lankan batter, who captained the Galle Gladiators team in the Lanka Premier League, gathered 990 runs in 34 matches at an average of 31.93 and with a high score of 86 to his name.
3) Dilshan Madushanka
Dilshan Madushanka (Image Source: Twitter)
Dilshan Madushanka, the young cricketer, failed to make a cut in either of the franchises’ squads of the T20 extravaganza based in India and the left-armer is considered to be the next big thing in Sri Lankan cricket, given that he impressed everyone with his performances in the domestic format and for Galle Gladiators, eventually earning a national call-up.
Madushanka is yet to make an impact with the ball in the shortest format of the game and the fans await the big day when he will bowl the spell of his life. To add more to his records in T20s in 2022, Madushanka managed to rack up 12 wickets in 12 matches with the best spell of 3/24.
