Retention before a mega-auction is a tricky event for IPL franchises. They will have to leave out a few players who would have done well for them. However, this is part of the auction dynamics in IPL. Some players will consider themselves unlucky for not being retained by their franchise. In this article, we take a look at five players who are unlucky not to be retained before IPL 2022 Mega Auction by their teams.
1) Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan is one of the players who are unlucky not to be retained before the IPL 2022 Mega Auction by their teams. Firstly, Dhawan made the choice of moving to Delhi from SRH. Since then, he has been the highest scorer for the franchise. In 2019, 2020 and 2021, the southpaw has made 521, 618 and 587 runs respectively.
Usually, teams prefer a blend of youth and experience before a mega-auction. However, Delhi Capitals have favoured the youth system that has paid dividends for them. Hence, they had to leave out Shikhar and select Prithvi Shaw. That said, Delhi could still try to buy back their home-grown cricketer.
2) Shubman Gill
While consistency has not been a great issue for Shubman Gill, strike rate and lack of impact knocks have been a problem. That said, Gill seemed to be finally cracking the T20 format and tapping the potential in him. At this moment, KKR has released the cricketer.
The two-time winners have favoured Venkatesh Iyer and Varun CV as their domestic picks. While Iyer and Varun CV are good, from the long-term view of the franchise, Gill might have been a wiser pick. Nevertheless, they still have a chance to get him back again at the auctions.
3) Yuzvendra Chahal
With 139 wickets from 113 games, Yuzvendra Chahal is the highest wicket-taker for Royal Challengers Bangalore so far. He also happens to be the only RCB bowler to have collected more than a century of wickets. Chahal has done well in Chinnaswamy, a stadium many consider to be a graveyard for bowlers.
Yet, the wily leg-spinner was not retained by the franchise. Although a few reports suggest that the parties could not arrive at an agreement, RCB could have gone the extra length to keep hold of Chahal. His legacy and what he brings to the table in future campaigns hold priceless value. Hence, Chahal might consider himself unlucky.
4) Ishan Kishan
It is under surprising circumstances that Mumbai Indians released Ishan Kishan before the IPL 2022 Auctions. Ishan is a multi-utility cricketer with plenty of years ahead of him. He could have also been a captaincy choice after Rohit Sharma’s stint. Instead, it was Suryakumar Yadav who was retained by the five-time champions.
The Jharkhand wicket-keeper will consider himself unlucky because there is nothing more he could have done to convince the most successful IPL franchise. Mumbai could still try to re-hire him if he is available in the auctions.
5) Avesh Khan
Avesh Khan is one of the players who are unlucky not to be retained before the IPL 2022 Mega Auction by their teams. Despite Kagiso Rabada’s inconsistent form, DC was able to do well in IPL 2021 due to Avesh Khan’s performances.
The Madhya Pradesh pacer finished as the second-highest wicket-taker with 24 scalps. Considering he was still an uncapped player, DC could have retained him at a lesser amount. However, that was not to be. Avesh will now turn out to be a hot property at the auctions.
