IPL 2018: Unsold Indian cricketers who switched to commentary for 11th edition
Mumbai: The stage is all set as the eleventh edition of Indian premier League (IPL) gets underway on Saturday with Mumbai Indians taking on Chennai Super Kings in the tournament opener at Wankhede Stadium.
While franchisees have have invested more on talented players, season campaigners have failed to attract bidders.
With no takers for the current season, the unsold players have now be in action off the field after been named in the commentary team.
We look at some of the Indian players who failed to get contract this season and are part of commentary panel announced for this years tournament.
Rajat Bhatia
The Delhi cricketer is without a team in this seasons’s IPL, but will be part of cash-rich league after being included in the list of hindi commentators panel.
The 38-year-old veteran all-rounder has previously played for Delhi Daredevils, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals and Rising Pune Supergiant.
From 95 IPL games he played so far, Bhatia has scored 342 runs and picked up 71 wickets. Last year, he represented Rising Pune Supergiants, which he managed to play 3 games, in which he scored 16 runs and took 2 wickets.
Pragyan Ojha
Once a regular in the Indian Premier League, the cricketer has failed to get suitors in the last two seasons of the tournament. The 31-year-old has won the league 4 times in his career ( 3 Mumbai Indians, 1 Deccan Chargers) has been overlooked by the various franchisees.
From the 92 matches he has played in his career so far, the left arm spinner picked up 89 wickets. With no cricketing action on field , the Orissa born player will now be present behind the mike after been selected in hindi commentators panel for this edition.
Ashok Dinda
The veteran bowler has been part of as many as four IPL teams (Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata Knight Riders, Pune Warriors India, Delhi Daredevils and Rising Pune Supergiant). The Bengal pacer has picked up 68 wickets from 78 IPL games he played so far.
Dinda was a part of Rising Pune Supergiant, managed to take only 1 wicket from 3 matches last season. With Supergiant, no longer part of the league, he was thrown into auction pool, but were no bidders for him this year.
The 34-year-old cricketer from Bengal is now back to IPL as a commentator and will be part of Bengali commentary panel.
Irfan Pathan
The Baroda all-rounder is a seasoned campaigner, but his cricket career has been affected with injuries, due to which has not been able to live up to the expectations.
After going unsold in last year IPL auction, he was signed at the last moment by Gujarat Lions as a replacement for injured West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo.
He played a solitary game, in which he remained failed to pick up wickets. The 33-year-old cricketer has played 103 matches in IPL so far and picked up 80 wickets.
This year, the all-rounder's was included in the player’s auction draft, but surprisingly, he found no takers at this year’s auction as well. With no on field action, Irfan will now be trying his hand at commentary after being named in the Hindi commentary panel.
