The ICC T20 World Cup 2021 is now in the history books, and the cricket universe is now on the road to the IPL Mega Auction 2022. According to reports, the BCCI have informed the existing eight IPL teams that they can retain a maximum of four players ahead of the mega auction. As far as the new franchises are concerned, both franchises can draft a maximum of three players each before the auction gets underway.
The rules are such that the existing eight teams can retain the four players in either a combination of 2 Indian + 2 Overseas cricketers or 3 Indian + 1 Overseas cricketers. For the new teams, the combination is 2 Indians + 1 foreigner. None of the teams have announced their retentions yet, but in this article today, we will look at the four teams that might four players with a combination of 3 Indian + 1 overseas player.
1. Mumbai Indians may keep 3 Indian + 1 overseas player ahead of IPL Mega Auction 2022
Five-time Indian Premier League winners Mumbai Indians failed to win the trophy last year. But they have a very good group of Indian players, and it will be very difficult for the Mumbai Indians team management to release their core players. However, they will have to make some tough calls. MI are likely to go with the 3 Indians + 1 Overseas player template.
Jasprit Bumrah and Rohit Sharma should be the first two picks among the Indians. The third pick among the Indian players could be Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav or Ishan Kishan. The possibility of Kishan getting retained are high because he is an Indian wicket-keeper and is young, so he can be a long-term asset for MI.
2. Royal Challengers Bangalore
Another franchise that may prefer three Indians is Royal Challengers Bangalore. RCB have never won the Indian Premier League before, but the Bangalore-based franchise seems to have found its core group in the last two seasons. Virat Kohli will stay with the franchise, and the other two Indians could be Yuzvendra Chahal and Devdutt Padikkal.
RCB may want to keep both AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell in their IPL squad, but then they will have to release either their highest wicket-taker Chahal or their find of the last two seasons, Devdutt Padikkal. It will be interesting to see which combination the Bangalore-based franchise selects.
3. Chennai Super Kings may keep 3 Indian + 1 overseas player ahead of IPL Mega Auction 2022
Chennai Super Kings are reportedly going to retain MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja and Faf du Plessis or Dwayne Bravo. Many fans expected the Chennai Super Kings team management to retain their players in this combination only.
Hence, it should not be a surprise if the Chennai-based franchise sticks with a 3 Indian + 1 overseas player retention template.
4. Delhi Capitals
Another team with a strong group of Indian players is Delhi Capitals. They have four top-quality Indian batters in Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer. As per reports, Shreyas may leave the Delhi Capitals because he wants a leadership role, so the Delhi-based franchise could retain the other three Indian batters along with a foreign player.
The Delhi Capitals have two top-quality South African pacers in Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje. So, the team management will have to think a lot because all are match-winners. Also, there is no RTM option, so the Delhi Capitals will face a huge dilemma before finalizing the four names.
