With three days to go for the IPL 2026 auction, the chatter around bidding wars is growing louder. Fans are already speculating on which names could spark frenzied auctions and which might quietly slip through unsold when franchises sit down in Abu Dhabi.

Adding fuel to the debate, Star Sports recently posed an intriguing question to former South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn: which player, despite never featuring in the IPL, had the makings of the league’s most expensive buy?

Steyn’s answer was Lance Klusener.

Widely regarded as one of the finest all-rounders of his era, Klusener was a destructive left-handed batter and a highly effective medium-pacer. His reputation was cemented at the 1999 World Cup, where he was named Player of the Tournament after playing a central role in South Africa’s run to the semifinals. Across international cricket, Klusener played over 170 matches, scoring more than 5,000 and taking upwards of 200 wickets, with his impact most pronounced in the ODI format.

Klusener retired from international cricket in 2004, four years before the IPL came into existence.

Steyn also named Allan Donald as a fast bowler who would have thrived in IPL conditions, Allan Border as a captain who would have been a tactical masterstroke for any franchise, and Ravi Shastri as a personality who could have fronted a team with ease.

Steyn himself has represented Deccan Chargers (now Sunrisers Hyderabad), Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and the now-defunct Gujarat Lions in the IPL.

Published on Dec 13, 2025