Phil Salt bewildered by Ind T20 League auction snub

The Ind T20 League 2024 auction was marked by interesting and exciting events in two corners of the globe. In Dubai, two players etched their names in the history books as they fetched amounts over and above INR 20 crore in the bidding war. A few hours later England opening batter Phil Salt smacked 10 sixes on his way to his second T20I hundred in Trinidad.  But December 19 was also baffling, per Salt, as he unsurprisingly went unsold 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," Salt said, following his blistering 57-ball 119 that laid the foundation for England’s series-levelling triumph against West Indies. 

The attacking batter was picked by Delhi for his base price of INR 2 crore in last year’s auction. He played 9 matches, amassing 218 runs at an impressive strike rate of 163.91. The wicket keeper batter was subsequently released and then headed into this year’s auction with a base price of INR 1.50 Crore but was overlooked. There was no actual demand for overseas keeper-batters and even the three that were bought- Tristan Stubbs, Tom Kohler Cadmore and Shai Hope- went for their lesser base price of INR 50 Lakh, 40 Lakh and 75 Lakh respectively. Salt has decent numbers in the T20 format at the top of the order but still failed to find any takers in the auction.

"It's part of the lottery of an auction, it happens in draft processes as well. There's a few lads in our dressing room who are going to have a very good Christmas and I'm over the moon for them," Salt said, as his teammates Harry Brook, Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson found takers at the auction. "I was a bit confused but it can happen. There's no bad cricketers on the list at the IND T20 League. It's one of those things," he added.

Salt’s fate of playing in the competition was already sealed by the time he took his guard at the Brian Lara Stadium. He responded though, with an incredible knock of 119 runs and went on to admit that the surprising turn of events probably played a critical part in him pulling off a majestic knock like that. 

"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 said.

Salt’s consecutive centuries in the West Indies comprised a total of 19 sixes- 9 in the third T20I and 10 in the fourth. He acknowledged to have worked particularly on his six hitting skills through the off side region. 

"I've worked specifically on hitting sixes over the off-side. I've always been good at hitting the sight screen and going over the leg-side. When Jason Holder took the pace off wide and I hit it over the offside, something Jos said to me was 'teams can't bowl to you'. That's an area I've been working on for a good while so it's good to see it's working," he said.