Highlights:
- Stalwarts MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma continue with their respective franchises
- Star campaigner Rashi Khan was released by Sunrisers Hyderabad.
- Notable ommissions from Royal Challengers Bangalore include the purple cap winner of the previous edition, Harshal Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal.
The mega auctions of the Indian Premier League witnessed the retention of a total of 27 players by the respective franchises. Ten teams would bump heads in the auctions to draw in cricketers with the finest flair.
Punjab Kings who finished sixth in the IPL 2021, will have a news skipper substitute for KL Rahul who decided to be a part of the auctions. Indomitable talents like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni will continue to stay on with the respective franchises.
At a glance: 8 Franchises and the players retained by them prior to the mega auctions
Chennai Super Kings
All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (16 cr), CSK captain MS Dhoni (12 cr), all-rounder left-handed batsman and right-arm off-spinner Moeen Muni Ali (8 cr), top-order batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad (6 cr) have been retained by the defending champions who clinched the IPL 2021 title. The balance purse value of the Yello Army is 48 crores.
Kolkata Knight Riders
KKR has pinned its hopes on the all-round strength have held on to Jamaican cricketer, Andre Russell (12 cr), Venkatesh Iyer (8 cr), all-rounder Sunil Narine (6 cr). Besides the trio, the team also backed their leg-break bowler and mystery spinner, Varun Chakravarthy. Similar to CSK, KKR also stands at a remaining purse value of 48 crores.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Sunrisers Hyderabad made a significant move by letting go of their star Afghanistani leg-spinner, Rashid Khan. Others who did not make it to the retention list were Jonny Bairstow, David Warner, Jason Holder and Jason Roy. The team, nonetheless, backed New Zealand’s Kane Williamson (14 cr) who will be leading the Franchise. Barring him, SRH also retained 2 uncapped players Abdul Samad and Umran Malik for 4 crores each. The balance purse value of the teams stands at 68 crores.
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Mumbai Indians
The most thriving franchise of the IPL, MI, has backed Rohit Sharma (16 cr). Other than the skipper, the team also retained West Indies player Kieron Pollard (6 cr), star batsman Suryakumar Yadav (8 cr) and premium bowler, Jasprit Bumrah (12 cr). The outstanding purse value of MI is 48 crores.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Former captain Virat Kohli (15 cr), Australian all-rounder Glen Maxwell (11 cr) and Mohammed Siraj (7 cr) have been backed by the Bangalore franchise. The striking emissions from the team include IPL 2020’s purple cap winner Harshal Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal. The team stands at a balance purse value of 57 crores.
Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals have released batsmen, Shreyas Iyer and Shikhar Dhawan. Nevertheless, wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant was reinstated to lead the side for 16 crores. Besides him, the Delhi franchise has backed Prithvi Shaw (7.5 cr), Axar Patel (9 cr) and Anrich Nortje (6.5 cr). The outstanding purse value of the DC remains at 47.5 crores.
Rajasthan Royals
Team RR have retained their skipper Sanju Samson (14 cr), star bastman of England Jos Buttler (10 cr), and leg-break bowler Yashasvi Jaiswal (4 cr). The team has let go of England idols like Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer. The lingering purse value of the franchise is 62 crores.
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Punjab Kings
A new skipper will be appointed for Punjab Kings as coach Anil Kumble revealed that KL Rahul was inclined to be a part of the auctions. In the meantime, the team has backed opener Mayank Agarwal (12 cr) and newbie seamer Arshdeep Singh (4 cr). The leftover purse value of the Punjab franchise is 72 crores.
IPL is all prepped to become a ten-team tournament from the upcoming 2022 season. Two new franchises in the form of Lucknow and Ahmedabad have been added. The BCCI (Board of Cricket Control for India) will hold mega auditions to ensure impartial opportunities for both teams to build a robust team from scratch.