IPL 2018: Steve Smith, David Warner and Darren Sammy among 10 players who will be missing in action

Swipe left/right on your browser to see who else is out of the 11th season of the Indian Premier League, and also read why

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  1. Steve Smith. The best since Bradman, according to Test cricket’s batting statistics, and the captain of the Rising Pune Supergiant side that lost last year’s final. His fall has been dramatic. Smith will be without top-tier cricket for the next year, as a result of the sanctions imposed on him for his part in the Australia ball-tampering scandal. Sajjad Hussain / AFP

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  2. David Warner. For Smith, ditto Warner. The former captain and co-captain of Australia will be losing out on millions of dollars because of their absence from the game for the next 12 months. The IPL losses will be the greatest. Warner showed that he did – despite the doubts of many – have leadership savvy by guiding Sunrisers Hyderabad to the title two years ago. Noah Seelam / AFP

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  3. Joe Root. England’s cricket board made their most significant concessions yet to smooth the path to IPL cricket for their players this year. As such, Joe Root’s name was added to the auction list for the first time. England’s Test captain went unsold, though. Stu Forster / Getty Images

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  4. Shadab Khan. It is easy to forget that the first ever purple-hat winner – for the leading wicket-taker – in IPL history was Sohail Tanvir – a Pakistani. Players from Pakistan have not featured since because of frayed political ties between the countries. Shadab Khan, who is up to No 2 in the world T20 bowler rankings, would be a major boon for the league. Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)

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  5. Babar Azam. Like Shadab, Babar would likely prove a popular addition were Pakistanis welcome in the IPL. In three seasons of Pakistan Super League, Babar is the second highest run-getter, behind Kamran Akmal. A productive home series against West Indies also saw him vault to No 1 in the international T20 rankings. Phil Walter / Getty Images

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  6. Eoin Morgan. A run of mediocre scores of late, plus a thumb injury, mean Morgan might not have especially excelled had he made it to India for this tournament, anyway. Still, though, he has been an IPL regular in the past, and has been a trailblazer in the short formats among England players, so it was a surprise he was overlooked. Prakash Singh / AFP

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  7. Ishant Sharma. Once among the biggest draws at auction, the 29-year-old India pace bowler missed out on a contract for this IPL. Suddenly at a loose end, he has looked to England, where he has landed a county deal to play for Sussex for two months. Attention there will be somewhat less than he is used to in India. Rodger Bosch / AFP

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  8. Tymal Mills. In two seasons, Mills has run the full gamut of emotions on IPL auction day. Last year, he was the second most expensive pick, when he landed a huge pay-day to join Royal Challengers Bangalore. This time around, he was left on the shelf entirely. To get his cricket fill instead, he has signed up to play minor counties cricket in the UK. Daniel Kalisz / Getty Images

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  9. Darren Sammy. The St Lucian’s star has waxed in Pakistan in the past three seasons of devoted service to PSL, but waned in India at the same time. Few players from any country could match his record of success as a captain in T20 cricket. Whether he could have played at the IPL anyway is doubtful, given the knee injury he sustained in PSL in UAE. Arif Ali / AFP

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  10. Martin Guptill. With IPL experience, and a fine limited-overs record to his name, Guptill must have been miffed to miss out on a deal at the auction. At the first available opportunity, he responded in emphatic fashion, blazing New Zealand’s fastest ever T20 ton, from 49 balls against Australia in Auckland in February. Michael Bradley / AFP

For a variety of reasons, many a cricket star you would have expected to see in action at the Indian Premier League this year will be conspicuous by their absence.

As has been the case since 2009, Pakistan's players will be missing due to the frayed relationship between the two countries. Some players went unsold, such as England captain Eoin Morgan who has had form issues lately, compounded by a thumb injury.

Then there are some of the senior Australian players who will not feature, either due to suspension or injury.

Swipe or click left/right on your browser to see who all have missed out and why.

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