Former India cricketer S. Sreesanth was on Thursday excluded from the IPL 2021 auction list, but the snub has not deterred the Kerala pacer as he vowed to not give up and work hard till he made the cut next season.
The 38-year-old bowler took to Instagram to inform his followers that he continues to remain positive despite teams not showing interest in him for the IPL auction.
Sreesanth, who had registered his name for the IPL 2021 player auction, returned to competitive cricket after serving a seven-year ban for his involvement in the spot-fixing scandal in the Indian Premier League. He had made it to the Kerala squad in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy earlier this year.
In an Instagram IGTV posted late on Thursday, Sreesanth thanked his supporters for backing him, adding that he is happy and does not need sympathy from anyone.
“If I could wait eight years, I’d love to wait some more time,” he said in the video.
“I’m not giving up. I’m just 38. So I’m going to make sure that I work hard,” he said adding that he would look to playing the IPL next season or the season after.
Before signing off, Sreesanth stated that the IPL doesn’t define a player.
The former India pacer was in Wayanad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy training camp and is expected to be in Bengaluru on Friday.
Sreesanth, who played all five matches for Kerala in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, also expressed his desire to do well in the Vijay Hazare tournament.
A total of 292 players are set to go under the hammer with 61 slots in eight franchises during the IPL 2021 auction to be held on February 18 in Chennai.
Out of the 292 cricketers named in the auction list, a total of 164 Indians, 125 overseas players and three others from associate nations have been enlisted, a press release said.
Among those who made the cut in the auction list is Arjun Tendulkar, son of the legendary Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar, listed at a base price of 20 lakh.
