From Orange Cap Winner to Unsold: Shocking Fall of An IPL Captain Who Scored 700+ Runs in a Season

As considerable time has passed since the culmination of the IPL 2025 Auction, and with the dust finally settled on certain players drawing egregious amounts, it is time to contemplate matters that went under the radar from the mega auction. Much like the list of sold players, the unsold roster is also quite thick. Shedding light on the same, a player who once was the mainstay of his franchise had led the team to the IPL final as well, moreover, had breached the esteemed 700-run mark in the season. Despite all the significant achievements, he still went ignored in the mega auction held in Jeddah on November 24 and November 25.

Greats Have Suffered The Fate

Time and again IPL Auction has produced startling examples of big names attracting no bids from the franchises. Greats like Sourav Ganguly and Brian Lara have endured this fate in the past. The trend has been ever-continuous and this time it has struck a modern-day great, Kane Williamson.

The Kiwi veteran has attained almost everything that there is to gain at the international dais. As a player, he has piled up over 18000 runs at the international circuit across formats- Still going strong- and possesses more than decent stats in the realm of IPL too. Having played 79 matches in the cash-rich league, representing predominantly Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kane Williamson scored 2128 runs in the Indian Premier League at an impressive average of 35.47 runs.

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Low Strike-Rate The Reason Behind Snub?

Kane Williamson does not hold the reputation of a big-hitter, rather he is a certified anchor. The former New Zealand skipper exhibits a lowkey strike rate of 125.62 at the IPL level, which does not come in the alluring section. Moreover, the player has also suffered some injury issues lately, which might have left the officials skeptical about wanting his services.

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Might Have Been A Great Addition

With the consistency he has showcased throughout his career, Kane Williamson would have solidified the batting line-up of any team had a bid been made on him. He has the game to anchor as well as strike sixes at will, which he displayed in IPL 2018, where he emerged as the Orange Cap winner, amassing 735 runs in 17 games. Furthermore, considering he has the experience of captaining SRH to the IPL final and New Zealand to the ODI World Cup Final and lest we forget, he was the skipper of the New Zealand team that won the WTC Final in 2021, at 34 years of age his inclusion might have brought a leadership figure to the squad. Nevertheless, for the franchises these attributes weren't even worth spending Rs.2 crore.