The IPL chatter has kickstarted with the announcement of the retained players by the franchisees, ahead of the auction next month. The mini-auction will be held on 23rd December in Kochi, while the season will begin in April 2023.
Here is a brief overview of the retention by the IPL teams
- Gujarat Titans
Gujarat Titans
The defending champions, Gujarat Titans built a solid core in the last season. They have traded a couple of players and have let go of three others to secure 19.25 crore rupees. After having parted ways with Lockie Fergusson, the team will be looking to rope in a fast bowler to assist Shami.
There were several question marks over GT’s batting before the start of the last season, however, the experienced players rose to the occasion. This year, the team will be looking to get a top/middle order batter, perhaps someone who could keep, as the current two keeping options (Saha and Wade) are not quite long-term prospects.
- Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals
RR has a top-heavy batting line-up. The team has released as many as 9 players and has earned around 13.20 crore from the same. The team will be looking to get the services of a seasoned finisher, or an all-rounder. The team used Ravi Ashwin as a floater in the last season, but they would be looking for a more formidable option.
Given the richness the team has at the top, they would be looking to use Sanju Samson as a finisher alongside young Riyan Parag.
- Royal Challenger Bangalore
Royal Challengers Bangalore.
RCB looks more stable than they have ever looked in the last few seasons. The team has let go of 5 players and they have around 9 crores in their kitty now. Although most of their first choices look well in place, at least for the short term. They will be looking for a better fast bowling option.
Dinesh Karthik fared very well for the team in the last IPL season, but they would be looking to groom another young finisher for the upcoming seasons.
- Lucknow SuperGiants
Lucknow SuperGiants
Led by KL Rahul, LSG reached the playoffs in their first-ever season. The team has released 7 players including the likes of Jason Holder and Manish Pandey. With a healthy purse of 23.35 crores, the team will be looking to get the services of either Sam Curran or Cameron Green. Besides, they would also need an experienced Indian batter at the top. LSG might look at Mayank Agarwal to fill in that role.
- Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata Knight Riders
KKR finds itself in a tricky situation after the retention. They utitised the trading window to get the likes of Lockie Fergusson and Shardul Thakur in their team, but they had to part ways with several of their nonperforming players from the last season.
The team does not have a wicketkeeper batter in their starting eleven. Besides, they would be keen on having an Indian batter in their top order. However, given that the team only has 7.05 crore left in the kitty, the chances of them getting the services of any premium batter are quite fragile.
- Punjab Kings
Punjab Kings
Like every season, the Punjab franchise has let go of some big names ahead of their next season. The team has a healthy bank of around 32 crore rupees. With a new captain at the helm, Punjab Kings will be looking to recapitalise and fill in the holes.
The team will be looking to get a strong middle or lower-middle-order player. Besides, Rahul Chahar is their only spinning option, they would be looking to add more repertoire in that department.
- Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals
Besides trading Shardul Thakur to KKR, Capitals haven’t done much leading up to the auction. The franchise will go in the auction with a purse of rupees 19.45 crore.
They would be looking for an Indian middle-order batter and a spinner to assist Axar Patel in the middle, preferably a spin-bowling all-rounder. Delhi Capitals traded Aman Khan to their team. Khan is known for his six-hitting capabilities and can also deliver with the ball.
- Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians
The 5-time champions have let go of 13 of their players from the last season. The team underperformed in IPL 2022, as a result of which they parted ways with five fast bowlers. MI legend Kieron Pollard announced his retirement from the IPL after not being retained.
The team will be looking to get a spinner, preferably a wrist spinner in their team, and a fast-bowling all-rounder in the middle.
- Sunrisers Hyderabad
Sunrisers Hyderabad
SRH have released their former captain Kane Williamson. They will be entering the mini-auction with a whooping 42 crore rupees in their kitty. The team has their fast bowlers in place, but several other holes to fill in the batting department.
Having released their captain, SRH will also be looking to have a new captain on board, there is a possibility of handing over the responsibility to the veteran fast bowler, Bhuveneshwar Kumar. In batting, SRH will require a strong, Indian batter. The franchise might go all out for Mayank Agarwal. Besides, they also require a fast-bowling all-rounder.
- Chennai Super Kings
Chennai Super Kings
All the rumours regarding the trade of Ravi Jadeja to another franchise have been put to rest. The team will enter the auction with over 20 crores in their bank. The MS Dhoni led side will be looking for a specialist T20 batter up the order.
The team’s bowling looks fine, considering that most of the matches will be played at Chepauk, but they might go for an overseas fast bowling option. The team might look at the likes of Taskin and Josh Little for that role.
