IPL 2019: Glenn Maxwell and Aaron Finch opt out of the auctions

What's the story?

Australian limited overs skipper Aaron Finch and hard-hitting all-rounder Glenn Maxwell have decided to opt out of the IPL 2019 auction, much to the disappointment of the fans.

The Kings XI Punjab and the Delhi Capitals had released Finch (who was bought for INR 6.2 crore last season) and Maxwell (INR 9 crore) respectively ahead of the auctions.

The background

The all-important auction for the 12th season of the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) is to be held in the 'Pink City' Jaipur on December 18 (Tuesday). All the eight franchises had been busy preparing the list of players that were to be retained as well as released before the November 15 deadline set for the IPL trading window.

The Chennai Super Kings, who are known to retain their core group of players, released just three players, whereas the Delhi Capitals (earlier, Daredevils) and Kings XI Punjab released several players from their last season's squads in order to get a new set of players in their ranks for the upcoming edition of the IPL.

The cricket boards of several nations have been unhappy and reluctant to let their players compete in the league citing the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. Cricket Australia in particular has specifically asked the participating players to get No Objection Certificates from them before they decide to play in the league.

The heart of the matter

Finch and Maxwell have withdrawn from the auctions citing the busy schedule, with the ICC World Cup soon to be followed by the Ashes. It will be a packed calendar for Australia, who will seek to defend the iconic Ashes (which begins on August 1) two weeks after the conclusion of the World Cup final, which is slated for July 14.

With the fatigue factor and the importance of both the tournaments in mind, both Finch and Maxwell have understandably withdrawn from the player auctions.

What's next?

This is certainly a big disappointment for the fans as both these players are capable of taking the league to a different level with their big-hitting abilities. They were expected to earn big at the 2019 auctions as well, but now the teams will have to look for other options.