Here are some of the more prominent domestic rejected players from layer two. By no means is this the entire list though.
Virat Kohli
Despite an underwhelming record as his franchise's skipper, Kohli is the highest run-scorer in IPL history and his absence will be a huge loss. Few batsmen have come anywhere close to his 2016 best when he scored nearly a thousand runs in just one season. He was rejected by
@Na Maloom Afraad.
Rohit Sharma
@ahmedleo414 @Na Maloom Afraad @CerealKiller have all opted to reject the most successful captain in IPL history. Despite not performing to his incredibly lofty standards for the past three seasons, Rohit has contributed in important games and his leadership of the best run franchise currently has been a model for all to witness. And of course, any mention of him is incomplete without adding that he has a hat-trick to his name from his days with Deccan Chargers.
Ajinkya Rahane
One of the best domestic anchors available is Rahane who has two centuries to his name despite not being the first name that comes to anyone's mind when discussing T20 stars. There is a complaint that is not entirely unjustified that Rahane is a misfit in the contemporary T20 game owing to his relative struggle to rotate strike reliably or score big sixes. At his best though, Rahane can offer the consistency and bat at a rate required to chase down plenty of targets.
@VC the slogger is the one who has chosen to reject him.
Shikhar Dhawan
@ahmedleo414 has rejected the Indian opener who for years served Hyderabad with distinction before his return to Delhi. His last two seasons have been the only times he has struck above 130, something that shows that he surprisingly works best when he plays as an aggressor. Despite not scoring as quickly as his other international compatriots, Dhawan has a solid average of 33.
Suresh Raina
The trusty sidekick to Dhoni's larger than life persona in Chennai's colours has been Raina and for years he was the IPL's highest run-scorer despite never finishing with the orange cap once. That speaks of his consistency with bat and fitness which is shown by his least prolific season with the bat being him finishing with 374 runs. He might not bowl these days with just a solitary over in two seasons for the new CSK team but he was a handy offie who you could trust for an over or two when Chennai were at their peak. His 87 from 25 versus Punjab in 2014 might be the greatest T20 innings ever given how aggressive and controlled it was.
@VC the slogger decided to reject him.
Yusuf Pathan
Match-winner in the first IPL final, Pathan's journey has come a long way since then. Rejected by both
@Aislabie and
@VC the slogger, he was one of the very few quality domestic sloggers available and his rejection will affect the balance of plenty of sides. And he was more than capable with the ball whenever he bowled spin. The second quickest century and second most aggressive innings in IPL history are two of his standout performances and I'm surprised he wasn't an icon player given his value.
Ravindra Jadeja
Manjrekar's jibe at Jadeja for not being good enough in both disciplines of cricket might have been ludicrous on an international stage, but it holds some weight in the IPL and it looks like
@Na Maloom Afraad has decided to listen to that. He hasn't quite lived up to the early potential of a finisher with the bat and Chennai's ban may have impacted him the most, as his strike-rate took a hit and his bowling average dropped significantly. There is a sense that he might be returning back to his best though with the ball at least as he took 15 wickets last season and has been in fine form with white ball for quite some time.
Munaf Patel
Two standout seasons, two good ones and a whole lot of mediocre sums up Munaf Patel's record in the IPL. While he never lived up to expectations on the international stage,
@CerealKiller's rejection of a pacer who averaged close to 23 might prove important given he has already secured Bhuvi's services while others barring
@Bigby Wolf are yet to find their quality domestic pacer.
Ravichandran Ashwin
@Na Maloom Afraad has sent Ashwin to the rejection list and it will be a decision that hurts anyone looking for an economical spinner. Ashwin's economy is the second lowest for an Indian spinner with significant match experience and this is despite him often bowling in the powerplay. On the contrary, arguably no one will miss his eccentricities as the captain of a dysfunctional Punjab side that failed to qualify for the knockouts in two seasons despite having decent starts.
Amit Mishra
Mishra's overall IPL record is incredibly good. He is the highest Indian wicket-taker and has played over half of his career for the perennially underachieving Delhi team which just makes his record even more impressive. Despite being a poor fielder, there is no doubt that this bloke deserved more chances before the current KulCha craze to play more matches as an attacking spinner.
@Nilay_60 and
@VC the slogger have decided that he shall not be a part of this draft though.
