As the excitement for the upcoming IPL 2024 builds, cricket enthusiasts are abuzz with discussions and speculations surrounding the released and retained players by the franchises. Each team has strategically shaped its squad, making some surprising decisions that have sparked debates among fans and experts alike.
Chennai Super Kings:
The Chennai Super Kings, led by the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni, have retained a core group of players, including the explosive Devon Conway, young sensation Ruturaj Gaikwad, and the versatile all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. However, the release of Ben Stokes has raised eyebrows, with speculations on the reason behind him opting out and his subsequent release after that. The Super Kings seem to be betting on a balanced squad with both experienced campaigners and emerging talent.
Players Retained: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ajinkya Rahane, Sheikh Rasheed, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Nishant Sindhu, Ajay Mandal, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Deepak Chahar, Mahish Theekshana, Mukesh Chaudhary, Prashant Solanki, Simarjeet Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Mathisha Pathirana.
Players Released: Ben Stokes, Ambati Rayudu, Dwayne Pretorius, Bhagat Verma, Subhranshu Senapati, Akash Singh, Kyle Jamieson, Sisanda Magala.
Delhi Capitals:
Delhi Capitals have opted for a major revamp, releasing 11 players and signaling their intent to rebuild. Retaining Rishabh Pant, David Warner, and Prithvi Shaw, the Capitals seem keen on striking a balance between youth and experience. The presence of Mitchell Marsh and Yash Dhull adds depth to their roster, setting the stage for an intriguing team composition in the upcoming season.
Players Retained: Rishabh Pant, David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, Abhishek Porel, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav, Mitchell Marsh, Yash Dhull, Praveen Dubey, Vicky Ostwal, Anrich Nortje, Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi, Khalil Ahmed, Ishant Sharma, Mukesh Kumar.
Players Released: Rilee Rossouw, Chetan Sakariya, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Phil Salt, Mustafizur Rahman, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ripal Patel, Sarfaraz Khan, Aman Khan, Priyam Garg.
Rajasthan Royals:
Sanju Samson’s Rajasthan Royals have retained a mix of proven performers and exciting young talent. The release of Joe Root and Jason Holder indicates a shift towards a more dynamic and versatile squad. With the likes of Jos Buttler and Yuzvendra Chahal, the Royals aim to create a formidable team capable of challenging any opposition.
Players Retained: Sanju Samson (captain), Jos Buttler, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Ryan Parag, Donovan Ferreira, Kunal Rathore, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Sen, Navdeep Saini, Prasidh Krishna, Sandeep Sharma, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, Adam Zampa, Avesh Khan.
Players Released: Joe Root, Abdul Basith, Jason Holder, Akash Vashisht, Kuldeep Yadav, Obed McCoy, Murugan Ashwin, KC Cariappa, KM Asif.
Punjab Kings:
Shikhar Dhawan’s leadership at Punjab Kings sees the retention of power hitters like Jonny Bairstow and Sam Curran. The release of Shahrukh Khan might come as a surprise, but the Kings seem focused on building a balanced team with a mix of international and Indian talent, keeping their eyes on the trophy.
Players Retained: Shikhar Dhawan, Jonny Bairstow, Jitesh Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh, Matthew Short, Harpreet Bhatia, Atharva Taide, Rishi Dhawan, Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Liam Livingstone, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Shivam Singh, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Vidwath Kaverappa, Kagiso Rabada, Nathan Ellis.
Players Released: Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Mohit Rathi, Baltej Dhanda, Raj Angad Bawa, Shahrukh Khan.
Kolkata Knight Riders:
Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy will be crucial for the Kolkata Knight Riders, who have retained a strong core including Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, and the promising Venkatesh Iyer. The release of big players like Shakib Al Hasan and Shardul Thakur suggests a strategic shift, possibly to create room for fresh talent and emerging stars.
Players Retained: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Rinku Singh, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Andre Russell, Nitish Rana, Venkatesh Iyer, Jason Roy, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Suyash Sharma, Varun Chakraborty.
Players Released: Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das, Arya Desai, David Weese, N Jagadeesan, Mandeep Singh, Kulwant Khejroliya, Shardul Thakur, Lockie Ferguson, Umesh Yadav, Johnson Charles, Tim Southee.
Sunrisers Hyderabad:
Under the captaincy of Aiden Markram, Sunrisers Hyderabad have made strategic moves, retaining key players like Rahul Tripathi and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The acquisition of Shahbaz Ahmed through a trade with RCB adds depth to their squad. The release of Adil Rashid might be seen as a surprising move, but it aligns with the team’s focus on creating a balanced and potent playing XI.
Players Retained: Aiden Markram (captain), Rahul Tripathi, Mayank Agarwal, Heinrich Klaasen, Glenn Phillips, Upendra Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Anmolpreet Singh, Sanveer Singh, Abdul Samad, Marco Jansen, Abhishek Sharma, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, T Natarajan, Mayank Markande, Fazalhaq Faruqui, Shahbaz Ahmed (Traded from RCB).
Players Released: Harry Brook, Samarth Vyas, Kartik Tyagi, Vivarant Sharma, Akil Hosein, Adil Rashid.
Lucknow Super Giants:
The newly formed Lucknow Super Giants, led by Lokesh Rahul, have retained a mix of explosive batsmen and experienced all-rounders. The inclusion of Devdutt Padikkal through a trade from RR showcases their strategic approach to strengthen their top order. With Mark Wood and Krunal Pandya in the mix, the Super Giants look set to make a mark in this season.
Players Retained: Lokesh Rahul (captain), Quinton de Kock, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Kyle Mayers, Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Devdutt Padikkal (Traded from RR), Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-Ul-Haq, Krunal Pandya, Yudhvir Singh, Prerak Mankad, Yash Thakur, Amit Mishra, Mark Wood, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan.
Players Released: Jaydev Unadkat, Daniel Sams, Manan Vohra, Swapnil Singh, Karn Sharma, Arpit Guleria, Suryansh Sedge, Karun Nair, Avesh Khan, Romario Shepherd.
Gujarat Titans:
Hardik Pandya’s captaincy at Gujarat Titans emphasized power-hitting and all-round prowess. Hardik being traded to MI was a move that had cricketing pundits scratching their heads. The retention of players like David Miller and Shubman Gill, along with the Rashid Khan factor, indicates their focus on a balanced squad capable of dominating both batting and bowling departments.
Players Retained: David Miller, Shubman Gill, Matthew Short, Wriddhiman Saha, Kane Williamson, Abhinav Manohar, Sai Sudarshan, Darshan Nalkande, Vijay Shankar, Jayant Yadav, Rahul Tewatia, Mohammed Shami, Noor Ahmed, Sai Kishore, Rashid Khan, Joshua Little, Mohit Sharma.
Players Released: Yash Dayal, KS Bharat, Shivam Mavi, Urvil Patel, Pradeep Sangwan, Odean Smith, Alzarri Joseph, Dasun Shanaka, Hardik Pandya.
Mumbai Indians:
Defending champions Mumbai Indians, led by Rohit Sharma, have retained a strong core, including the explosive Suryakumar Yadav and the talented Jasprit Bumrah. The addition of Romario Shepard through trade with Lucknow Super Giants and the return of Hardik Pandya indicates a continued commitment to a winning formula. Trading Cameron Green had mostly got to do with increasing their purse to get Hardik on board.
Players Retained: Rohit Sharma (captain), Dewald Brewis, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Verma, Tim David, Vishnu Vinod, Arjun Tendulkar, Shams Mulani, Nehal Wadhera, Jasprit Bumrah, Kumar Karthikeya, Piyush Chawla, Akash Madhwal, Jason Behrendorff, Romario Shepard (Traded from LSG), Hardik Pandya (Traded from LSG).
Players Released: Mohammad Arshad Khan, Ramandeep Singh, Hrithik Shokeen, Raghav Goyal, Jofra Archer, Tristan Stubbs, Duane Jansen, Jhye Richardson, Riley Meredith, Chris Jordan, Sandeep Warrier, Cameron Green.
Royal Challengers Bangalore:
Faf du Plessis leading Royal Challengers Bangalore brings a sense of stability. The retention of Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, and Mohammed Siraj ensures a mix of experienced campaigners and exciting talent. The trade for Mayank Dagar and Cameron Green further strengthens their squad, setting the stage for an intense competition.
Players Retained: Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Suyash Prabhudesai, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandge, Mayank Dagar (Traded from SRH), Vasant Vijay Kumar, Akashdeep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Cameron Green (Traded from MI).
Players Released: Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Josh Hazlewood, Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, David Willey, Wayne Parnell, Sonu Yadav, Avinash Singh, Siddharth Kaul, Kedar Jadhav, Shahbaz Ahmed.
Overall Impressions:
As the teams gear up for the mini auction on December 19th, the released and retained players list provides a glimpse into the strategic thinking of each franchise. The balance between experienced players and young talent, the emphasis on all-round skills, and the surprises in player releases have set the stage for a fiercely competitive IPL 2024. Fans can expect an exhilarating season with nail-biting matches and unexpected twists, as these teams vie for the coveted IPL trophy. The auction day promises to be a game-changer, with franchises looking to complete their squads and address any gaps in their lineups. Cricket enthusiasts can’t wait to witness the drama unfold on the field, making IPL 2024 one of the most anticipated seasons in recent memory.
