Five players who should have been retained by their IPL teams
So, all the 8 existing IPL franchises have announced the list of players that they would like to retain ahead of the mega auctions. The 8 franchises retained a total of 27 players. And, out of the 8 teams, only CSK, KKR, MI and DC decided to retain their maximum quota of 4 players. And, there were many players who deserved to get retained but were released by the franchises. In this article, let us take a look at 5 such players.
5. Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal is the highest wicket-taker for the RCB side in the IPL. The leg-spin bowler has represented the ‘Men in Red’ in 113 matches and has taken 139 wickets. Chahal has been an integral part of the RCB side since 2014. However, the 31-year-old was released by the RCB outfit ahead of the mega auctions.
4. Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya has been a trailblazer of sorts for the Mumbai Indians (MI) side. The right-hander has lent the firepower for the Rohit Sharma led outfit in the final few overs with the willow, and is a batter who can decimate any bowling attack on his day.
Pandya has played 92 matches for the Mumbai Indians (MI) and scored 1476 runs at a colossal strike rate in excess of 150. He has also taken 42 wickets with the ball. But then, Pandya was not among the 4 players that the MI side retained ahead of the mega auctions.
3. Faf du Plessis
Faf du Plessis has been an asset for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the top of the order. The South African veteran played a key role in helping the MS Dhoni-led outfit lift the 2021 IPL title with his stellar contribution with the willow.
The right-hander emerged as the 2nd highest run-scorer of IPL 2021 and amassed 633 runs at an average in excess of 45. Faf is also a livewire on the field as well. In spite of Faf’s utility and his stellar run in IPL 2021, the CSK side did not retain him.
2. Harshal Patel
Harshal Patel was impressive with the ball in the 14th IPL season. The right-arm seamer won the ‘Most Valuable Player’ of the tournament award in IPL 2021 and also won the Purple Cap award. Patel scalped a whopping 32 wickets in the tournament and picked them up at an average of just 14.34. But, in spite of his stellar heroics, the RCB side decided to retain Mohammed Siraj instead of Patel.
1. Rashid Khan
The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) side let go of their premier spinner and match-winner Rashid Khan. Khan is arguably the best spinner in IPL cricket today, and his stupendous record in the tournament vindicates the same.
The leg spinner has taken 93 wickets in 76 matches at a stellar average of 20.55 in the IPL. Khan has also conceded runs at an economy rate of 6.33 per over in his IPL career. Khan will surely be in ‘demand’ in the upcoming mega auctions.
