While some of the IPL legends are approaching the end of their careers, there is news circulating ahead of the IPL 2023 mini-auction that their respective franchises might release them, and either they will be traded or they will have to get back to auction again.
Playing for different teams in a franchise sport is not something out of the ordinary. It happens everywhere and all the time, but there are some faces and names which become synonymous with one particular team and their disassociation from that particular team is not easy to accept for the fans.
Here are the 3 popular players who might not play for their respective teams in IPL 2023 –
Kane Williamson
The release of Kane Williamson from Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) won’t be surprising for anyone. He was retained at a high price last season, but not only did he fail to justify it with his batting performances in the IPL, he thereafter struggled with his form in international cricket too.
In the recent T20 World Cup which will conclude tomorrow with the final, Williamson batted at a very low strike rate because he was struggling to time the ball. His release from SRH will totally be based on his batting form.
Kieron Pollard
Kieron Pollard has played a pivotal role in Mumbai Indians winning so many trophies over the years and he has been a true IPL and Mumbai Indians legend, but towards the end of the last season itself, Mumbai Indians dropped hints that they were looking to move on from Pollard to another death over hitter Tim David.
It seems Mumbai will back Tim David from the start of the tournament itself next season and Pollard might be on his way out of the franchise, after serving for close to a decade.
Mustafizur Rahman
Mustafizur Rahman, who has played for many IPL teams in the past, was a part of the Delhi Capitals squad last season and although he played well in patches, his performance was not up to the mark in crunch games.
With IPL 2023 returning to its home and away format from next season and Delhi having to play 7 games at a smallish Feroz Shah Kotla ground, they might want someone else than Mustafizur because the Bangladesh southpaw mostly relies on variations, which can prove costly on grounds with small boundaries.
