IPL 2023 Ahead of the mini-auction, the franchises took tough decisions by removing the names of non-performing players from their retention list.
The IPL 2023 mini-auction will be held on December 23, 2022 in Kochi and before that the franchises were given a deadline of November 15 to declare the list of retained and released players for the next season. Now, with the roster declared, it could be said that the franchises have retained players who have brought them some positive results with their performances. On the other hand, players with underperforming profiles were released by teams, regardless of their reputation.
This time the franchises also took tough decisions to part ways with some players who were associated with their teams for a very long time. Fans of some big players will be sad to see their favorite cricketers go under the hammer at next month’s auction. By going through the list of released players by franchise, a team could be created that can still deliver the best in the tournament with their vast experience and immense skills.
Released players who can form the best XI ahead of the IPL 2023 mini auction
1. Ajinkya rahane
Ajinkya Rahane, despite not doing well in T20 cricket for a long time, is being picked by IPL franchises due to his vast experience. Bought by KKR for INR one million last year, he played seven games and scored 133 runs at an extremely poor average of 19.00.
Currently, Rahane is not at his best but in the past he was one of the greatest batsmen in the league due to his ability to provide wild starts with his incredible batting skills. He looked fantastic against pitchers in the league from 2012-2016.
In 2015, he gave tough competition to T20 specialists like David Warner, Lendl Simmons and Ab de Villiers for the Orange Cap, scoring 540 runs in 14 games. He eventually lost to Warner, scoring 22 runs less, but his batting and skills showed how dangerous he can be even in the shortest format of the game.
2. Mayank Agarwal
Mayank Agarwal has joined the list of released players as Punjab Kings have decided to part ways with him after a failed 2022 season as captain and player. In the last season, Agarwal’s batting remained quiet as the batsman scored just 196 runs in 13 matches at a dismal average of 16.33.
Even as captain, the franchise failed to secure good results as the team under his leadership finished sixth and failed to qualify for the playoffs in the final year of the marquee tournament. But Agarwal, who has vast experience in the league, could use his skills to play fine strokes in the future.
The 31-year-old has been playing in the IPL since 2011 and has amassed 2327 runs in 113 matches with a top score of 106 against Rajasthan Royals in 2020. He had the best phase in the league in 2020 and 2021 scoring 424 runs. 441 runs respectively. Looking at his performance in back-to-back seasons, the Punjab Kings franchise named him as their captain for the year 2022.
3. Karun Nair
Last season, Karun Nair was bought by Rajasthan Royals for INR 1.40 crore and the franchise used him in just three games and failed to make an impact against the bowlers. By scoring just 16 runs, he disappointed the franchise and did not make it to RR’s maintained list for the next year.
Last season, Nair was brought into the team to add strength to RR’s batting in the middle. With the help of batsmen like Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson and Shimron Hetmyer, Nair could prove dangerous against the opposition but the batter could not make much impact due to his poor run with the bat.
In IPL 2016, Nair was at his best, amassing 357 runs in 14 matches at an impressive average of 35.70. Unlike other franchises, RR didn’t give him a chance to bat at number four and by batting him at umber 6, the franchise wanted to use him as a finisher.
4. Manish Pandey
After appearing in all the seasons of the IPL, it can be said that Manish Pandey has become a trusted player in the league. In his IPL career, he has represented various franchises such as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Pune Warriors India (PWI), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and performed well for them. New franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in 2022 riding on their excellent history in the tournament had faith in the veteran by buying him for 4.60 crores.
But after one season, LSG released him because he couldn’t live up to his price tag. The new franchise gave him the responsibility to strengthen the team’s batting unit by contributing in the middle order, but he was ineffective in the six matches of the season, scoring only 88 runs at a disastrous average of 14.67.
In 2009, Pandey proved his mettle by scoring 114 runs against Deccan Chargers. His impressive innings made him the first Indian to score an IPL century. After that innings, he earned the trust of some franchises and became one of the most reliable batsmen in the league.
5. Kane Williamson
After going through a disappointing 2021 season, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) released David Warner and trusted the leadership qualities of New Zealand captain Kane Williamson to lead the team in the 2022 season. fortunes of the team with his captaincy and batting but the veteran could not do much for his team.
He played 13 matches in the final season of the competition and left the franchise struggling, having amassed just 216 runs at a scorching average of 19.64. Talking about his performance as captain, one could say that SRH looked helpless as they won 6 out of 14 matches and ended the season without qualifying for the crucial next round.
In the past, Williamson booked his place in the SRH camp with an amazing 2017 season by scoring 256 runs in seven matches at a brilliant average of 42.66. His incredible show with the bat has made him credible to captain the team in 2018 without regular skipper David Warner. He became more responsible with the captaincy and scored 735 runs in 17 matches.
6. Kieron Pollard (Retired)
After a 13-year long association with Mumbai Indians, Kieron Pollard ended his tenure as a player after being released. The old MI servant will remain with the team as a batting coach, but as a player, we won’t see him play in an MI match again. In the last season, Pollard scored only 144 runs in 11 matches at an average of 14.40.
Being MI’s most experienced player, Pollard was expected to rock the 2022 season with the bat, but his low scores tarnished his image as a batsman. For MI, his release has to be the toughest challenge as the former West Indies legend has contributed significantly to the franchise’s success in the league.
The veteran made his IPL debut in 2010 for MI against Delhi Daredevils (DD) and was an integral part of the franchise till 2022 with his top performances. After retirement, he finished with 3,412 runs in 189 matches at an average of 28.67. A power-hitter, he has turned many games towards MI in recent games and these figures show his enormity as a finisher.
7. Jason Holder
Jason Holder has been part of the IPL since 2013 and has played for top franchises such as Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in these years. LSG included him last year to show his versatility.
But the former West Indies captain looked out of rhythm both with the bat and the bowling. As a bowler, his expensive economy of 9.42 became a headache for the team despite scalping 14 wickets in 12 matches. Even though he was batting, he couldn’t do anything special for his team with just 58 runs in 8 innings. Seeing his continued failures, the franchise parted ways with him before the mini-auction.
In 2021, Holder played for SRH and took 16 wickets in just eight matches at an average of 7.75. With his scintillating show with the ball in 2021, the player attracted the LSG franchise in the 2022 auction and fetched INR 8.75 crore.
8.Pat Cummins
Last season, Kolkata Knight Riders invested INR 7.25 crore in Australian pacer Pat Cummins. Confident in his wicket-taking ability, KKR also included him in the 11 for five matches, but the speedster underperformed, picking up just seven wickets at an expensive economy of 10.69.
The 29-year-old Australian will not be part of the league next year, citing a busy international schedule. After his withdrawal, the KKR management decided to release him even before the December mini-auction.
Cummins, who bowls at over 140 kmph, is known for destroying batting line-ups and has faith in his abilities. Time and again, KKR have believed in him by spending a hefty amount. His ability to bat in the lower order also made him credible and attracted some franchises in the auction.
9. Mayank Markande
Mayank Markande made his IPL debut in 2018 for Mumbai Indians and rose to the occasion by taking 15 wickets in 14 contests. Markande was praised by fans of the game for his bowling.
He reappeared in the MI lineup the next season, but this time he was ruled out of the tournament due to ill health. After the incident, he failed to recreate the spell with a spin attack. In 2021, he appeared for Rajasthan Royals (RR), playing one game and taking no wicket.
IPL 2023,Last season, Mumbai Indians roped in Markand again but the bowler was kept away from the playing 11 due to Murugan Ashwin’s availability. But he got a chance to play in two games but the spinner lacked confidence and failed to repeat his past performances by taking only one wicket. He may not feature again for Mumbai Indians next season as the franchise has kept him on the release list.
10. Shivam Mavi
Shivam Mavi impressed the fans with his under-19 performances in 2018 and his diligence also earned him a place in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). His first season with KKR did not go well as the youngster took only five wickets in nine matches at a high economy of 9.64.
In 2020, the franchise gave him a chance to be a part of it again, and he looked better compared to his debut season. This time he took nine wickets in eight matches with an improved economy of 8.15.
He produced his best performance in the league in 2021, finishing the season with eleven goals in nine games at a 7.24 economy, but again in 2022, the young gun came up with a flop. He played six games in the competition and got five goals. He has been released by KKR for the next season and the bowler has to go under the hammer in a mini-auction to be a part of any franchise.
11. Sandeep Sharma
Sandeep Sharma is one of the players that Punjab Kings will release ahead of the mini auction. The bowler returned to the franchise after five years and was unsuccessful in delivering charismatic performances, taking only two wickets in five games.
He is a renowned name in the league due to his excellent bowling skills. In 2013, his ability to bowl outswingers helped him gain the trust of Punjab Kings and he did not break the franchise’s trust with his bowling, taking eight wickets in four matches at an economy of 7.43.
With his disciplined bowling in the league, Sharma has established himself as a reliable bowler. In most editions of the league, his economy was below 8:00. In an interesting match against Virat Kohli, he became the most successful bowler as he dismissed the star Indian batsman most times in the league.