England opener Phil Salt was left confused after going unsold in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction that took place in Dubai on Tuesday (December 19).
Three days before the auction, Salt slammed a whirlwind century (109* off 56 balls) to help England chase down West Indies’ mammoth target of 223 in the third T20I in Grenada.
On the day of auction, the wicketkeeper-batter smashed 119 off 57 balls to script Three Lions’ resounding 75-run victory over West Indies in the fourth T20I in Trinidad.
Thanks to his back-to-back tons, England drew level in the five-match T20I series after initially losing the first two games.
Salt entered into the auction with a base price of INR 1.5 crore but he didn’t find a buyer. Despite the disappointment of his sub, the swashbuckling right-hander expressed happiness for his other English teammates, who secured hefty deals in the auction.
"It was a confusing morning. I expected to be picked up, having gone there last year and done well and after the year that I've had, but these things happen. It's part of the lottery of an auction, it happens in draft processes as well. There are a few lads in our dressing room who are going to have a very good Christmas, and I'm over the moon for them,” Cricbuzz quoted Salt as saying.
"I was a bit confused, but it can happen. There are no bad cricketers on the list at the IPL. It's one of those things," he added.
Phil Salt admitted that not getting picked up in the auction motivated him to go big in the penultimate T20I.
"It was probably a little bit of it, subconsciously. I'm very aware of how lucky I am to be here playing cricket. I'm playing good cricket, I'm doing what I came out here to do. More importantly than that, the boys have really pulled together and shown what a good team we are. The West Indies are a very good side that we're playing against so to win back-to-back games and force the decider in a couple of days' time, I'm chuffed," he remarked.
