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The recently concluded IPL mega auction 2022 for the 15th season of the Indian Premier League saw few players grabbing hefty sums from the franchises due to their impressive performances in previous seasons and as a result, their future prospects look solid in the tournament. While players like Suresh Raina were the notable omissions from the auctions and became a talking point amongst the cricket pundits and fans.
Days after the two-day mega event, former Indian batter and CSK player Robin Uthappa opened up on what a player goes through when none of the franchises considers them for the season, and they are left unsold. While speaking on athlete mental well being in Mind over Medals, News9 Sports' Weekly podcast, Uthappa stated that the idea of letting a player go through bidding is not an enriching idea, and it forces players to feel like cattle. After being successfully secured by the Chennai franchise for his base price of Rs. 2 crores, Uthappa advocated for a draft system rather than auctions. "The auctions feel like an examination which you wrote a long time ago, and you are just waiting for the results. You feel like a cattle (commodity), to be honest."
My heart goes out for the guys who don't get sold: Uthappa
He also shared his disbelief with the idea of auctions by saying that it's not the most pleasing thing to go through. "My heart goes out for the guys who don't get sold. Players who have served franchises for a long time and don't get picked, such conclusions are sometimes defeating," he said. Uthappa even admitted that bidding for an amount is quite a haphazard idea. There is not a method to the madness. Uthappa shared that people come with different speculations suggesting that if your name had come later in the auctions, you could have bagged more amount and vice versa. As per Uthappa, the draft system is smoother and more respectful.
Notably, the explosive batter chipped in with valuable innings in last seasons' playoffs after being given a chance later in the season in UAE. Suresh Raina's poor form in the CSK campaign was the main reason Uthappa got a valuable chance which he grabbed with both hands. Uthappa played a vital knock of 31 off 15 in the final against KKR to help CSK lift the title for the fourth time. Notably, Uthappa played 46 ODIs and 13 T20Is for India between 2006 to 2015.