In the first big surprise to come out of the IPL 2018 auction, Chris Gayle went unsold in the first round of bids in Bangalore on Saturday.
The big-hitting Chris Gayle was not picked by any franchise for the upcoming Indian Premier League season.
Gayle, who has been one of the biggest stars in the IPL over the league’s first decade, had set his base price at INR 2 crore (USD 312,500 approx)
The story of West Indies batsman’s rise in the IPL is a staggering one. Unsold in 2011, he was picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) after Dirk Nannes suffered an injury and went on to become an iconic player of the Virat Kohli-led franchise.
He holds the record for most sixes in the tournament (265) with the next best a long way away at 173 (Suresh Raina), and also smacked the highest individual score in T20s (a bludgeoning 175) in the IPL.
He wasn't at his very best last season with most teams finding ways to get past the marauding West Indian opener. Despite his heroics in the Bangladesh Premier League, Gayle will be lucky to have any takers this time around.
Source: ESPNcricinfo & The Quint