As much as the domestic core is important to an IPL team, the overseas players also play a crucial role. Usually, the expectation is that the four foreigners must be able to win a few games single-handedly. Teams who have had such players have done well in the history of the competition. Therefore, a few teams would want to retain some of the established foreign stars before the next season. As per the recent reports, each team can retain a maximum of two overseas cricketers before the mega-auction. In this article, we take a look at the list of five overseas players who might be retained ahead of the IPL 2022 Mega Auctions.
1) Rashid Khan
Rashid Khan has been in Sunrisers Hyderabad only since 2017, but he is already the second-highest wicket-taker in the franchise’s history with 93 scalps from 76 encounters. His economy of 6.33 is one of the best in the tournament. It is a no-brainer that SRH is going to retain him before the next season.
The Afghan cricketer has the innate ability to change the course of an encounter. He has a track record of doing it regularly. Rashid is also a gun fielder and a useful No.8 batsman. Moreover, he is still young and will be an investment for the long term. Hence, ahead of David Warner, Kane Williamson and Jonny Bairstow, Rashid is likely to be the first retention for SRH.
2) Andre Russell
Andre Russell is one of the overseas players who might be retained ahead of the IPL 2022 Mega Auctions. Although the returns have dwindled in recent seasons, Russell is still an elite T20 all-rounder, and the bid would surely hit the roof if released to the auctions.
Injuries have hampered his progress, but when he is fit, Russell showed the destruction he can cause as he did in IPL 2019. His bowling has also improved off late. Kolkata Knight Riders have backed him in the past, and they might do once more.
3) AB de Villiers
In 157 encounters for Royal Challengers Bangalore, AB de Villiers has made 4522 runs at an average of 41.10 and a stunning strike rate of 158.33. Although he will be 38 by the next IPL, even if ABD is going to play for one more year, RCB is likely to retain the legend.
ABD is important to RCB‘s brand, and the franchise cannot allow him to go to another team. With a new captain coming up, the presence of ABD will help the player settle in the franchise. Of course, the South African has always been super fit and on most days, he will deliver in the middle-order.
4) Kieron Pollard
Mumbai Indians, if they are going to retain an overseas star, will keep hold of Kieron Pollard. After a brief patch a few years ago, Pollard has become more consistent in recent years. While he has been at his brutal best with the bat, Pollard has also helped Rohit Sharma with a few overs of medium pace here and there.
Most importantly, Pollard is an experienced bloke and for a Mumbai Indians team that will undergo a transition, the West Indian’s leadership skills could be necessary. If released, one of the two new franchises might pick him up or he could go for a huge bid. Hence, Mumbai is likely to retain him.
5) Faf du Plessis
While Faf du Plessis was Chennai Super Kings’ highest run-getter in IPL 2020, he was the team’s second-highest run-scorer in the recent campaign. CSK’s success in IPL 2021 has been possible only because of Faf’s stunning form.
The South African’s consistency is impressive, and CSK might want to retain him so that they can keep the core intact. There are no problems whatsoever with his fitness, and Faf could easily play the next three seasons. If MS Dhoni retires, Faf could also be considered for captaincy.
