The coaching contingent in the IPL keeps getting bigger every year. Teams often have the biggest of names in their dugout. These legends coach teams in different capacities. There are plenty of roles that these giants of the game take up. Right from being the head coach to batting consultant, there are different roles that they end up taking. 5 Current IPL Coaches Who Once Went Unsold.
This season too is no different. The addition of two new teams has brought in additional superstars into the coaching role. But strangely these coaches once had gone unsold as players during their playing days
We look at 5 such current IPL coaches who once went unsold in the auctions:
#5 Dale Steyn (Multiple times)
Dale Steyn is all-time bowling great. He has exceptional numbers across bowling formats. Steyn has single-handedly won many games for his country. He was part of the IPL since 2008. Steyn’s best IPL years came with the Deccan Chargers. He made the new ball talk almost always. But as his career came to an end, Steyn couldn’t sustain excellence.
He went unsold multiple times in 2018, 2019, and 2020. RCB picked Steyn in 2020 in the second round of auctions. He joins Lara in the coaching role with SRH. Steyn is the fast bowling coach for the Hyderabad franchise.
#4 Mahela Jayawardene (2016)
Mahela Jayawardene was one of the world’s best players during his playing days. He was also one of the best leaders in the business. Jayawardene had played more than 400 ODIs. His wealth of experience was valuable to any team he played. But in 2016 Jayawardene went unsold in the auctions. He later took on coaching duties with the Mumbai Indians. Jayawardene is MI’s head coach. He has coached the side to multiple IPL teams.
#3 Hemang Badani (2014)
The stylish left-handed batsman, Hemang Badani, never really had a great IPL experience. He had signed up for the IPL mega Auctions in 2014. Unsurprisingly he went unsold in the auctions. He didn’t evince interest back then. Badani is now part of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s new-look coaching staff. He will be the fielding coach and talent scout for the team.
#2 Wasim Jaffer (2011)
Wasim Jaffer was part of Royal Challengers Bangalore in the inaugural season. He couldn’t really come to terms with the game’s shortest format. Jaffer was never really an exciting prospect in the IPL. He had registered himself for the 2011 mega auctions. But the opener went unsold that year. His tryst with IPL continued in the form of a coaching role. He is the Punjab Kings’ batting coach.
#1 Brian Lara (2011)
Brian Charles Lara is arguably one of the best batsmen of all time. He was one of the greatest entertainers to have ever played the sport. Lara dominated world cricket for over a decade and a half. He called quits on his international career in 2007. It was around this time that T20 cricket started blossoming.
The IPL came into existence in 2008. Lara was playing the rebel league then. He missed out playing the IPL during those couple of years. He finally took the bait in 2011 and enrolled himself for the auctions. But sadly he found no takers in the 2011 mega auctions. Lara is now the batting coach of the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise.
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