Ex-Pakistan captain who was the 1st unsold player in IPL history & its NOT Misbah-ul-Haq

The IPL 2020 is all set to commence in the UAE from September 19 and will go on till November 10. The 13th edition of the tournament was originally slated to start on March 29 but the cash-rich league was indefinitely postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. With the IPL 2020 approaching, the franchises are leaving no stone unturned to prepare themselves for the tournament. As the IPL 2020 is set to commence soon, let's take a look at the first-ever player who went unsold in IPL's history.

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Former Pakistan skipper Mohammad Yousuf was the first player to go unsold at IPL 2008 auctions

The announcement of the IPL 2008 sent fans into a frenzy because of its innovative nature. The cash-rich league helped in revolutionizing cricket in the country and it also gave Indian cricket some of the best talents. While some players raked in big bucks, there were also players who failed to attract any bidders.

The first player to go unsold in the history of the IPL was former Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf. The 45-year-old didn't attract attention from any of the eight franchises and was left without a bidder. Mohammad Yousuf had reached the fag end of his career and his base price was set at USD $350,000 which seemed a little high, more so when franchises were aware of the fact that he had not featured in the 2007 T20 World Cup for Pakistan either.

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Moreover, the T20 format demands the exuberance of the youth and also the ability to score runs quickly which is something Mohammad Yousuf lacked. In fact, Mohammad Yousuf went unsold once again in the second round of the auction. The only other Pakistani player besides Mohammad Yousuf who failed to attract the buyers was Yasir Hameed.

On the contrary, Mohammad Yousuf's Pakistan teammates Shoaib Akhtar, Salman Butt and Umar Gul (Kolkata Knight Riders), Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Malik (Delhi Daredevils), Shahid Afridi (Deccan Chargers), Younis Khan, Kamran Akmal and Sohail Tanvir (Rajasthan Royals) and Misbah-ul-Haq (Royal Challengers Bangalore) were the ones sold at IPL 2008 auction.

IPL 2008 was the only season when Pakistan players were associated with the IPL. Thereafter, Pakistani players could never play in the IPL again because of the unstable political relations between India and Pakistan, due to which they were banned from playing in the league.

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When will IPL 2020 start?

Ever since IPL 2020 was indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fans started wondering 'When will IPL 2020 start? To answer the 'When will IPL 2020 start' query, the IPL 2020 will start on September 19 and go on till November 10 which was announced in by the BCCI after the Government Council meeting on Sunday. The IPL 2020 dates haven't been announced yet. However, the IPL 2020 dates are soon expected to be announced after BCCI's meeting with the franchises.

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IMAGE COURTESY: ICC TWITTER