The 2024 Indian Premier League player auction is set to take place in Dubai on December 19. More than 1100 players have enrolled their names for the major business event but eyes will be set on illustrious players such as Travis Head, Mitchell Starc, Harry Brook, Wanindu Hasaranga, and more as they are expected to bag lucrative contracts at the huge event.
Some old stalwarts of the sport have also registered their names to find buyers in the auction. These aged players have been serving the game for a long time and they will look to attract the franchises with their vast experience. However, some might convince buyers to invest in them while a few may break into the unsold players' list at the end of the auction.
Here are the five oldest players to be featured in the 2024 IPL auction:
5. Jalaj Saxena - 36
Kerala player Jalaj Saxena, who is currently 36, is also looking to mark his presence in the 2024 IPL and has also submitted his name for the business event. Saxena last featured in the IPL auction back in 2021. His base price was INR 30 lakh then but this time, he will participate with his base price of INR 40 lakh.
He was a part of Mumbai Indians (MI), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Delhi Capitals (DC), and Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the cash-rich but he never got a chance to make his IPL debut. In the 2023-24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he put up a decent performance with the ball for Kerala. Appearing in four games, he took eight wickets at an economy of 5.64.
4. Colin Munro - 36
New Zealand’s left-handed opener Colin Munro will also go under the hammer and his maximum reserved price will be INR 1.5 crore. The Kiwi stalwart made his IPL debut in 2016 for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)) and playing his debut season, he scored only 30 runs in four matches at an average of 10.00.
After 2016, he featured in the league again in 2018 and 2019. This time, Delhi Capitals (DC) showed faith in him again but he failed to showcase his batting mettle. Playing nine games in a couple of seasons, he could accumulate only 147 runs for the franchise, at an underwhelming average of 16.33. Noting his below-par performance, DC parted ways with him. In the 2020 auction, no franchise showed interest in him.
3. Ben Cutting - 36
Australia player Ben Cutting, who guided Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to their first title victory in 2016, will also participate in the auction to play in the 2024 edition of the league. He is known for his unbeaten 39-run knock against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 2016 IPL final.
In the past, the 36-year-old was part of trophy-winning teams such as Rajasthan Royals (RR), Mumbai Indians (MI), and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) but couldn’t settle in any side due to his non-performance. The 2016 champion played his last IPL season in 2019 and representing Mumbai Indians (MI), he could score only 18 runs in three matches at a strike rate of 105.88.
3. David Wiese- 38
David Wiese failed to justify his role in Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2023 season and made it to the list of the franchise’s release list before the 2024 auction. The Namibia stalwart got three matches in the previous season and racked up only 21 runs from his bat.
The 38-year-old Wiese will go to the auction again to get a new team in 2024. However, his poor performances in 2023 may impede his chances of getting acquired in the auction. The veteran failed to prove himself in the 2023 Hundred competition. In Northern Superchargers' jersey, he ended up with only 80 runs in seven innings of eight matches, at an average of 13.33.
Back in 2015, Wiese got a chance to make his IPL debut from Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Playing his maiden season, he grabbed 16 wickets in 14 matches and grabbed the attention of IPL fans. However, following that performance, he failed to produce anything solid with both bat and ball.
1. Mohammad Nabi- 38
Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi will be the oldest player in the auction. The 38-year-old went unsold in 2023 but this time, he might grab the attention of some franchises due to his decent performance in major international competitions such as the 2023 Asia Cup and 2023 World Cup.
In the 2023 World Cup, he scalped eight wickets in nine matches at an economy of 4.13. After the marquee ODI tournament, he is playing for Chennai Braves in the 2023-24 Abu Dhabi T10 League. The veteran has looked fine with the ball in the short-format competition, bagging four wickets in three innings of five games at an economy of 7.80.
Nabi has never been an effective player in IPL as he has notched up only 180 runs and 13 wickets in 17 matches as an all-rounder. He played his last IPL season in 2021. Serving Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), he scored only 34 runs and took two wickets in three matches. In the 2024 auction, his base price will be INR 1.5 crore.
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