An Indian Premier League mega auction comes every 4 years and the next one will take place ahead of the 2022 season. Unlike the mini auction, each franchise can retain a maximum of 3 players and can use 2 RTM cards during the auction. While the rest of the players go under the hammer in the mega auction. Retention will be a headache for some of the franchises that have a set of exceptional players. Here we are giving our view on all 8 franchises’ mindset about retaining players ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction.
IPL Mega Auction Retention Rules
Each team can retain a maximum of 3 players and gets a minimum of 2 RTM (right to match) cards. If a team retains only 2 players it gets 3 RTMs to use during the auction. RTM card is a power that can be used to bring a player back into the squad after their final bid on the Auction day. Each team can retain only;
- A maximum 3 capped Indian players
- A maximum 2 overseas players
- A maximum 2 uncapped Indian players
Rajasthan Royals
1.Sanju Samson: Rajasthan-based franchise had named the wicket-keeper batsman their skipper for the 2021 season. The 26-year old didn’t disappoint the management as his performance both as skipper and batsman were quite well before the postponement of the league. It will be interesting to see where RR ends the current season under Sanju Samson. But there is no doubt, he will be one of three players which Rajasthan Royals will retain before the mega auction.
2.Ben Stokes: Currently, the English all-rounder is one of the most valuable players if not the most. RR can’t think of releasing him for IPL 2022 mega auction. If Stokes goes under the hammer, he is the kind of player who can break the auction’s record. He was the most expensive player in 2017 and 2018.
3.Jofra Archer: Retaining one between Archer, Jofra Buttler and Chris Morris will a headache for the Royals management. But, here retaining the English pacer will be the right decision. Any team would like to make a bid on Archer and bring him in their playing XI at any cost. So retaining him will be a better idea than using an RTM card at Mega Auction 2022.
RTM Card: Rahul Tewatia and Jaydev Unadkat
Kolkata Knight Riders
1.Shubman Gill: KKR management has backed the Indian youngster and it seems he is the future of the team. So the franchise won’t let him go under the hammer in the Mega Auction ahead of IPL 2022 season. The right-hander has racked up 1071 runs in 45 innings for Kolkata Knight Riders.
2.Dinesh Karthik: After MS Dhoni, you won’t get any other experienced Indian wicket-keeper than Dinesh Karthik. The 36-year old may get to captain KKR again as Eoin Morgan will be unavailable for the remainder of IPL 2021. The Kolkata-based team will definitely back Karthik as their wicket-keeper for the next couple of years.
3.Pat Cummins: KKR has spent over 30 crore rupees on Cummins in the past two seasons. However, the Aussie pacer has failed to justify his price tag so far. But, his performance has been consistent and has also contributed to the team with his bat. So, backing a player of such caliber for one more season is not a bad decision.
RTM Card: Nitish Rana and Andre Russell
Delhi Capitals
1.Rishabh Pant: 2021 has been a dream year for a 23-year old wicket-keeper. First, he earned back his place in the Test team and later Delhi Capitals’ management rewarded him with the captaincy. Currently, DC is standing at the top of the IPL 2021 points table. Shreyas Iyer may get the captaincy back for the remainder of the season. But, Rishabh Pant will remain Delhi’s first-choice keeper as far as the franchise’s future is concerned.
2.Shreyas Iyer: The primary skipper of Delhi Capitals missed the first phase of IPL 2021 due to a shoulder injury. However, he will return for the 2nd leg in UAE. Delhi Capitals management is expected to hand over the team’s baton to Shreyas Iyer. Last year, under the captaincy of Mumbai-born batsman, Delhi played its first-ever final.
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3.Shikhar Dhawan: The left-hander opener is the most experienced batsman of the franchise. The southpaw has aggregated 1519 runs in the last 3 seasons which is the most for any batsman. Management will not want to let him go for the IPL mega auction in 2022.
RTM Card: Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje
Mumbai Indians
1.Rohit Sharma: It’s obvious that Rohit will be the first name among MI’s retained players ahead of IPL 2021’s auction. When you have a 5-title winning skipper, you don’t wish for any better. Rohit will continue to lead the Mumbai-based team, maybe till the end of his career.
2.Hardik Pandya: The all-rounder’s performance is not up to the mark so far in the 2021 season. Pandya has not yet fully recovered from the back injury which is the reason he is not bowling frequently. However, there is no doubt about the batting abilities which the 27-year old possesses.
3.Jasprit Bumrah: With the current scenario, it seems Mumbai Indians will retain the same set of players which they retained in the last mega auction in 2018. Bumrah is the frontline bowler and he will find himself back in the squad.
RTM Card: Trent Boult and Kieron Pollard
Punjab Kings
1.KL Rahul: The mega auction before IPL 2022 is going to be very crucial for the Preity Zinta-owned team. They made certain changes this year too, but it doesn’t feel the franchise has found the best combination. KL Rahul’s performance in the past few seasons will definitely book a place for him in Punjab Kings’ squad. However, the managing director may look to buy a better captain for PBKS at the auction.
2.Mayank Agarwal: If Punajb retains KL Rahul then they also need to retain Mayank Agarwal. The understanding between both openers is impeccable. Agarwal is the 2nd most run-scorer for PBKS and he is worth retaining.
3.Mohammed Shami: He is the frontline pacer of Punjab since his maiden stint in 2019. PBKS needs Shai’s experience in the upcoming seasons.
RTM Card: Chris Gayle and Ravi Bishnoi
Royal Challengers Bangalore
1.Virat Kohli: Interestingly, Virat is the only player in the history of the league who hasn’t changed his franchise. The current Indian skipper is playing for RCB since 2008. Kohli hasn’t won any IPL title for RCB yet but that doesn’t much bother franchise owners as far as he is performing well. Releasing the 32-year old batman will lead to a huge drop in RCB’s popularity. So there are many factors that permanently cement Virat Kohli’s place in RCB.
2.AB de Villiers: If the best IPL XI has no AB de Villiers in it, it’s not the best in any way. AB de Villiers is probably the most stylish batsman of the modern era. He is loyal to the Bangalore-based team and we can’t think of him playing for any other IPL team.
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3.Yuzvendra Chahal: When you add Chahal with Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, it completes RCB’s best trio. The leggie once said he will only want to play for Bangalore his entire career. The management also knows how important he is going to be for the team in the upcoming years.
RTM Card: Glenn Maxwell and Mohammad Siraj
Sunrisers Hyderabad
1.David Warner: The southpaw from Australia is the most consistent overseas batsman in the history of IPL. He is the only batsman to bag three orange caps. Also, under Warner, Sunrisers had lifted their first title in 2016. Recently, SRH management removed the 34-year old from captaincy. But they should not commit a blunder by releasing him for mega IPL Auction.
2.Rashid Khan: The mystery spinner from Afghanistan is a part of SRH since 2017. Outplaying the 22-year old leggie is not everyone’s cup of tea. Batsmen face difficulty in reading Rashid’s wrong-uns which is his main strength. Also, he is the most economical bowler in the history of the Indian Premier League with an economy rate of 6.23.
3. Bhuvneshwar Kumar: The UP bowler is giving his services to the Hyderabad franchise since 2014. The 31-year old has won 2 purple caps playing for SRH. Bhuvneshwar has made a strong comeback after coping with injuries for some months.
RTM Card: Manish Pandey and T Natarajan
Chennai Super Kings
1.MS Dhoni: It is certain that the former Indian captain will continue his stint with CSK for the rest of his career. Dhoni is the face of the Chennai team and we can’t imagine him playing for any other franchise. Earlier, CSK CEO had revealed that Dhoni will play the 2022 edition. So, it’s very much clear that Super Kings will retain Dhoni ahead of the mega auction.
2.Ravindra Jadeja: He is the real 3-dimensional player who can win you matches with batting, bowling, and fielding. Jadeja is a complete all-rounder whose presence provides depth in both bowling and batting. He will an easy pick for CSK management during the retention.
3.Faf du Plessis: The third pick will cause a headache to Chennai Super Kings’ management. There are many players whom franchise doesn’t want to go under the hammer in the mega auction of IPL 2021. CSK has retained Suresh Raina in every season. However, his performance has declined in the past couple of seasons. The remainder of IPL 2021 will be decisive for the southpaw. Currently, Faf du Plessis has more chances of getting retained.
RTM Card: Suresh Raina and Sam Curran
