5 players who should not have been released by their IPL franchises
IPL history is replete with instances where franchises have regretted releasing players whom they deemed as failed investments. The Delhi Daredevils chose to release stars like David Warner, Gautam Gambhir and AB de Villiers.
David Warner performed admirably for the Sunrisers Hyderabad after being purchased in the IPL 2014 auction. Gambhir was picked by Kolkata Knight Riders for a record sum of 11.04 crore, with the side desperate for a leader capable of marshalling the players effectively and delivering the goods on the field.
The investment paid off pretty well as the Knight Riders have been transformed into a winning unit under his leadership. AB de Villiers’s exploits in the IPL after being signed up by the Royal Challengers Bangalore have been sensational, to say the least. Chris Gayle has had a similar impact for the Royal Challengers Bangalore after being released by the Kolkata Knight Riders which indicates how important it is to take such decisions wisely.
Several franchises have opted to release some of their high-profile recruits before the IPL auction on February 6.
Top performers like Morne Morkel, Irfan Pathan, Kevin Pietersen, and Mitchell Johnson have been released by their respective IPL franchises which might be a big mistake considering their abilities.
Let’s take a look at those 5 players who should not have been released by their franchises:
#1 Imran Tahir
Imran Tahir is considered one of the best leg-spinners currently in T20 cricket. His performances for IPL franchise Delhi Daredevils, ever since he made his debut in 2014, have been spectacular.
T20 cricket is mocked as a format where the batsmen smash the bowlers to all parts of the ground, restricting them to being mere spectators, largely because of the rules which favour the batsmen to a great extent. But, bowlers like Tahir have been successful in being successful in the format thanks to his variations, turn and outthinking the batsmen.
The South African spinner snapped up 15 wickets in just 10 matches in the 2015 edition of the IPL finishing as the joint wicket-taker for his franchise. An overall strike rate of 14.96 indicates how lethal he has been throughout his career. In case Delhi fail to purchase him in the auction, they will lose out on a performer who has delivered the goods quietly and consistently over the years.
In spite of just 4 appearances in IPL-9, the 37-year-old managed to pick up 5 wickets at a strike rate of 19.20 and could prove to be a steal for a side like Kings XI Punjab, who are crying out for an experienced spinner.