Stars opt out of auction

ENGLAND’S Ben Stokes, Australia’s Mitchell Starc and veteran West Indies big-hitter Chris Gayle are among the stars missing from the upcoming auction for the Indian Premier League, according to media reports on Saturday.

More than 1200 cricketers from India and 18 countries across the world have registered to go under the hammer in Bangalore on February 12 and 13 for the 15th edition of the world’s most lucrative cricket tournament.

Other notable absentees from the long list of players in the bidding pool for the IPL – expected to begin in April depending on the Covid situation in India – are the English trio of Jofra Archer, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran, the reports said.

Stokes and Woakes both participated in England’s recent disastrous Ashes tour of Australia.

Captain Joe Root – who has never played in the IPL – is also sitting out the auction although fast bowler Mark Wood is on the list along with Australian stars David Warner and Pat Cummins, the reports said.

Ten teams will bid and participate in this year’s IPL after the addition of two new franchises, Ahmedabad and Lucknow.

India’s opening batter KL Rahul will captain Lucknow.