No chance for Odia players in IPL auction. file photo
Jagran correspondent, Bhubaneswar. Cricket fans of Odisha have once again been disappointed in the auction of the current season of IPL. Despite more than 200 uncapped players being shortlisted, not a single Odia player could get a place in the auction this time.
The impact of the continuous poor performance of the Odisha team in BCCI domestic tournaments is now clearly visible, due to which players from the state are moving away from the big stage.
If we look at the history of IPL, only a few players from Odisha got a chance to join this league. First Haldhar Das, then Viplab Samantrai and then Subhranshu Senapati got the opportunity to join the IPL camp.
Haldhar Das and Biplab Samantrai played for Deccan Chargers and Sunrisers Hyderabad, while Subhranshu Senapati did not get a chance to play a single match despite being with the Chennai team for two seasons. Since then, the doors of IPL seem almost closed for Odia players.
The situation has become even more worrying in the last few years. Neither is any Odia player being sold in the auction nor is he able to make it to the auction list. Weak performance in domestic cricket and lack of long-term planning are being considered as the main reasons for this.
Odisha's performance in the recent domestic season was also disappointing. Be it at team level or individual performance, no player could make an impact. This year in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy also, the Odisha team failed to qualify for the Super League stage.
While many players from neighboring states West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Chhattisgarh were successful in making it to the IPL auction, not a single name from Odisha could be included.
While other states are grooming new talent through their respective cricket leagues, Odisha seems to be lagging behind in this race. In such a situation, cricket lovers and sports experts believe that if the Odisha Cricket Association still does not introspect and take concrete steps, then the future of cricket in the state may be in serious trouble.