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Ahead of the much-anticipated IPL 2022 mega auction, there is indeed a lot of buzz in the world of cricket. While the fans are quite excited, the players are also intrigued to know which team will show interest in securing their services and how intense the bidding war will be for them.
There are many star players who will go under the hammer in Bengaluru on Feb 12-13 but there are few notable absentees as well. From Joe Root to Mitchell Starc, and Kyle Jamieson to Ben Stokes, there are many players who have opted out from entering the mega auction due to personal reasons.
Ahead of the Test series against New Zealand, South Africa's Test captain Dean Elgar, who led his side to famous Test series win against India recently, has now also opened up on why he won't feature in upcoming mega auction.
He said, "I know I'm definitely not in that auction because I can't stand another year of disappointment of not getting the satisfaction of knowing I'll retire in two years' time because of getting a million-dollar contract."
"I'm a lot more optimistic than that, but I also see it as an opportunity for someone to have their lives changed through the cricket they have played," Elgar added.
It was probably a hilarious roast on himself only, considering the fact that his T20s are probably not his strongest area. The left-handed batsman has not played a single T20I for Proteas as he usually plays only the 5-day format. Hence, he knows that he won't get a mega contract even if he opts to enter the mega auction.
However, some of the fans also thought that Elgar might be taking an indirect dig towards Quinton de Kock. Notably, the wicket-keeper shockingly announced his retirement from Test format few days back, which could be where Elgar might be hinting towards.
QDK has been among one of the most successful overseas player in recent times, having traded to the Mumbai Indians for Rs 2.8 crore after IPL 2018. The 29-year-old looks set to get a mega contract this time around, with many franchises keeping an eye on him.