IPL 2019: One wrong release and retention made by each franchise
The Indian Premier League is slowly getting to the headlines as we approach the 2019 IPL Auction. The upcoming edition of IPL auction is set to take place in Jaipur on 18th of December. Having done with the retentions and the releases, we have as many as 66 released players and other newbies who will be going into the auction for the twelfth edition of the league.
Amidst the retentions and the releases, we came across a lot of retentions and releases that turned out to be quite exciting and surprising at the same time. The 66 players who were released by their respective franchises included a lot of big names such as Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Glenn Maxwell, and the list goes on. Besides, the retention list also offered quite a few surprises.
Thus, in this feature, we will have a look at one wrong release and retention made by each franchise ahead of the upcoming edition of IPL.
#8 Rajasthan Royals
Wrongly Released: Heinrich Klaasen
Heinrich Klaasen shot to the fame with an impressive performance in the ODI series against India earlier this year. The streak of good performances opened the IPL gates for Klaasen as Royals signed him for IPL 2018 to replace Steve Smith whom the BCCI banned from the league for reasons known to everyone.
However, the South African batting prospect failed to present his case in the extravagant league as he failed quite a few times which is why Rajasthan sidelined him for a good part of IPL 2018. Nevertheless, releasing Klaasen for one-off performance wasn't the way to go as Royals' jittery middle-order could have availed a lot from Klassen in IPL 2019. Besides that, the probability of IPL 2019 to shift to South Africa strengthens the case for Klaasen's retention.
Wrongly Retained: Stuart Binny
Stuart Binny's retention caught a lot of eyeballs in the cricketing circles as he was one of the players who was expected to be released by his franchise for the upcoming edition of IPL. Howbeit, surprisingly, Rajasthan Royals decided to retain him for IPL 2019.
Binny, who comes with the reputation of an able all-rounder, had a miserable season last year where he failed to contribute with the bat as well as the ball. In IPL 2018, Binny played seven matches for Royals while scoring a meager 44 runs at a disappointing average of 8.80 and a below-par strike-rate of 112.82. Moreover, his bowling performances were no different as Binny bowled only two overs while squandering 33 runs at an economy rate of 16.50.
Thus, with minimal contributions for Royals in IPL 2018, retaining Binny wasn't a good move by Rajasthan as the all-rounder wouldn't bring much to the table for Royals in IPL 2019.