With the addition of Ahmedabad and Lucknow franchises, the bar of competition for the big prize is going to raise. Also, ahead of the 10-team IPL, there is a big task for the team management of the old 8 franchises to rebuild a strong team. So far we have known, a franchise can retain only 4 players from their current squad while all other players will go under the hammer. The idea of RTM (right-to-match) cards has been scrapped as per reports. Also, new teams will be able to pick three players out of the released players, maybe through a draft system.
Also the rule states, a team can pick 2-3 Indians and 1-2 overseas players. Some teams may easily pick their 4 best players. But for teams who have a star-studded squad, the retention will be a headache. Here we are predicting the 4 players, the eight franchises may retain ahead of the Auction.
Rajasthan Royals
Sanju Samson: There is no doubt, the Kerala batsman was the top performer for the side in the previous season. Samson did quite well as a leader in the last season. Most of the time, he was the lone warrior for the team who kept the scorecard running. He was the highest run-scorer for Rajasthan in 2021 and the team under him could have done better if their full-fledged squad was available for the season.
Ben Stokes: Regarded as the best pace bowling all-rounder of current times, no team would want to let go Ben Stokes. The England all-rounder is on a long break from cricket, intending to focus on mental health. He missed the UAE leg of IPL and is unavailable for the ongoing T20 World Cup. However, the southpaw has announced his return with a confirmation on the participation in the upcoming Ashes series.
Jos Buttler: The keeper-batsman too missed the second-leg of IPL as he was expecting second child with his wife Louise. RR had named Glenn Phillips as his replacement but it didn’t work well for them. Buttler has been a key part of Rajasthan as is expected to be their second overseas retention.
Chetan Sakariya: The left-armer is a find of the IPL 2022. Sold on the base price of 20 lakh, Sakariya picked 14 wickets in 14 matches and was economical throughout the season. He was quite impressive in the first-leg of the 2021 season which was played in India. He is a talented lad and the management should back him for a long run with them.
Kolkata Knight Riders
Shubaman Gill: The u-19 World Cup winner is a part of KKR since 2018. He was not in his best last season, yet he scored 478 runs in 17 matches being his team’s highest run-scorer and overall 8th highest runscorer of the season. KKR management is backing him for the long run and maybe for the captaincy role in the future.
Venkatesh Iyer: The Madhya Pradesh all-rounder came into the action in the second half of the 2021 season. Kudos to the management who gave him the opportunity to open with Shubman Gill. In just 10 matches, Iyer aggregated 370 runs with an average of 41. He was handy with the ball too and picked 3 wickets in 51 balls.
Sunil Narine: The mystery spinner has been the ace of the Kolkata franchise in the past few seasons. Apart from bowling, he is playing many roles in IPL, from opening to finishing the game. In 2021 season, KKR didn’t use him as an opener and he could score only 62 runs but that doesn’t deny the fact that he was the second-highest wicket-taker for Eoin Morgan-led side with 16 wickets. KKR might prefer him over Varun Chakravarthy due to the all-rounder tag he has.
Andre Russell: The muscular man’s presence itself is a boost for any team. The last season was like a roller coaster for him where he enjoyed a couple of match-winning performances including a 5-wicket-haul against mighty Mumbai Indians. In 10 matches, the all-rounder scored 182 and picked 11 wickets, most importantly he is providing KKR the balance the T20 team requires. So it’s worth retaining the West Indies giant for the IPL 2022 season.
Delhi Capitals
Rishabh Pant: The bad performance in the play-offs had cost the table-toppers. The franchise had to use a new captain as Shreyas Iyer missed the season due to a shoulder injury. Rishabh Pant did a fabulous job as captain and even after Iyer’s return, the keeper continue to lead the side. So it’s clear, Pant is going to captain Delhi in IPL 2021 season.
Shikhar Dhawan: Stats don’t lie and the southpaw’s stats tells he has been the best batsman of DC since his arrival in the team. Indian selectors sidelined him from the T20 World Cup 2021. But DC management wouldn’t want to commit this howler.
Kagiso Rabada: He is the fastest bowler to take 50 IPL wickets (in 27 matches) and all his 76 IPL wickets have come playing for Delhi Capitals. The franchise is retaining South Africa speedster since 2017 and who doesn’t show faith in a player of his caliber.
Anrich Nortje: Known for his express pace, Nortje is a wicket-taking bowler who has picked at least one wicket in almost all of his IPL matches. The Rabada-Nortje duo is doing wonders for Delhi Capitals and South Africa side as well. So, retaining the pair will be a nice move.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Kane Williamson: As David Waner confirmed the franchise is parting ways with him, retaining Kane Williamson seems to be a clear option. His leadership qualities alone can provide him the retention ticket.
Rashid Khan: The mystery spinner from Afghanistan should be the second pick among overseas players. SRH has been too much dependent on foreigners since they created a new pack in 2018. There is no doubt in Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy’s ability, but letting Rashid go for them doesn’t seem to be a good move.
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T Natarajan: There are a handful of Indian players who have performed for SRH in recent times. Currently, T Natrajan has to be the most impressive Indian player in the Hyderbad-based team. He missed the UAE leg of IPL but is likely to be retained for the upcoming season.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: The Uttar Pradesh bowler struggled in the UAE leg and the main reason behind it was slow pitches. IPL 2022 is expected to return in India, and we all know how lethal Bhuvneshwar can be on Indian pitches. His experience will also help SRH to groom young players.
Mumbai Indians
Rohit Sharma: If there is one retention that is the most certain is Rohit Sharma. I mean, who will release a 5-time IPL champion captain? The opening batsman is all set to lead MI in yet another IPL season. Rohit didn’t impress with the bat last season but that’s not going to decide his future with the franchise.
Jasprit Bumrah: He is the front-line pacer of Mumbai and will definitely find his spot in the team. He has 130 IPL wickets in his bag and has enjoyed all the success in the league with the MI franchise. It won’t even surprise us if he plays his whole league career for Mumbai only.
Ishan Kishan: There are three choices for the third pick; Hardik Pandya, Suryakaumar Yadav, and Ishan Kishan. But Ishan being a wicket-keeper and having the age factor with him, put him ahead of Suryakumar Yadav. While Hardik Pandya seems out of the retention race if we look at his performance in the last two years and he is also not bowling for a long time now.
Trent Boult: The overseas pick should be the Kiwi speedster. Boult has been lethal in the two seasons he has played for the Rohit Sharma-led side. He has picked 38 wickets in the last two seasons and is the most worthy pick among overseas players of MI.
Punjab Kings
Mayank Agarwal: There are reports that KL Rahul is going to leave the PBKS as he has been approached by some franchises. If that happens then Mayank Agarwal would be Punjab’s first retained player. The opener has scored 865 runs in the last 23 matches for the KL Rahul-led side.
Mohammed Shami: He is the frontline pacer of Punjab since his maiden stint in 2019. The pacer is consistent and economical as well as he has taken 19, 20, 19 wickets in the 2019, 2020, 2021 seasons respectively. PBKS needs Shami’s experience in the upcoming seasons.
Arshdeep Singh: The Punjab-born pacer picked 18 wickets last season including a 5-wicket haul. He is a youngster who should be groomed by the side.
Nicholas Pooran: Indian players have supported the Punjab Kings while the performance of overseas players has been a letdown. However, as KL Rahul might leave Punjab Kings, management may retain Pooran for wicket-keeping duties in IPL 2022. He didn’t have a good last season but if used wisely he can do wonders.
Chennai Super Kings
MS Dhoni: The CSK skipper is uncertain about his retention as the rules are not clear yet. However, the franchise has made it clear that they will use the first retention card on the 40-year old. Despite MS Dhoni’s batting woes, CSK won the IPL 2021 title. So, it is quite certain that Dhoni will continue to lead Chennai Super Kings.
Ruturaj Gaikwad: Reports say that winner of the 2021 orange cap is set to find his place in the team. And why not? Scoring 635 runs in a season including a century is enough to get the ticket.
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Ravindra Jadeja: He is CSK’s go-to guy and is definitely going to be one of the 3 Indians the franchise is going to retain.
Faf du Plessis: Former South Africa skipper fell three runs short to win the orange cap in the final. If he had hit a boundary in the last ball he would have snatched the cap from Gaikwad’s head. Although, the man of IPL 2021 final likely to reap rewards ahead of IPL 2022 Mega Auction.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Virat Kohli: In 2022, Virat will play just as a player in IPL for the first time since 2012. He has left the captaincy but RCB won’t let him go for the IPL 2022 Mega Auction. Virat too wants to play end his career with RCB. Interestingly, Virat Kohli is the only player who has played all IPL seasons for only one team.
AB de Villiers: ABD made his IPL debut for Delhi but rose to fame during his time with the Bangalore-based team. He is with RCB since 2011 and is one of the biggest stars of IPL history. Like Virat Kohli, de Villiers is also more than just a player for RCB.
Yuzvendra Chahal: Ahead of the Mega Auction 2018, Bangalore had retained Kohli, ABD and Chahal. Now, it seems the leggie will once again make it to the list, at least his recent performances suggest so. Chahal was not his best in the first half of IPL which even cost him a T20 World Cup spot. But, he has regained his confidence in UAE leg.
Devdutt Padikkal: What Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad for KKR and CSK respectively, Padikkal is for RCB. The youngster is considered to be the next big thing for Royal Challengers Bangalore. In his 29 matches for RCB, the Kerala-born batsman has scored 884 runs including a century against Rajasthan Royals.
