IPL 2022 Auction: 3 teams that could have made better retention choices
The IPL 2022 Auction is set to see most of the players put back into the pool for bidding. Two new teams based out of Ahmedabad and Lucknow could make three signings each from the draft, with eight pre-existing IPL franchises having already named their retained players.
The retention process wasn't easy and some tough choices had to be made by every team.
27 players have been retained ahead of the IPL 2022 Auction
A total of 27 players were retained by franchises ahead of the IPL 2022 Auction, including eight overseas stars. While most teams made their retentions along expected lines, there were some suprises as well.
Here, we take a look at three teams who could have made better retention choices ahead of the IPL 2022 Auction:
#3 Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) retained Andre Russell, Varun Chakravarthy, Venkatesh Iyer and Sunil Narine ahead of the IPL 2022 Auction. While the quartet offer a solid core, one wonders if KKR have taken a risk with regards to their fitness.
Russell, Narine and Chakravarthy have had fitness issues in recent years and the trio missing games could throw a spanner into KKR's works. Russell and Narine are synonymous with the franchise and have helped Kolkata win several games. That said, KKR may have taken a risk in retaining both ahead of the mega auction.
KKR could have perhaps hinged towards a tearaway pacer in Lockie Ferguson ahead of Narine. Other options included the uncapped Rahul Tripathi and the prodigious Shubman Gill, once touted as their future captain. Tripathi is a good player against both pace and spin in equal proportions and might just be hard to buy back at the IPL 2022 Auction.
#2 Punjab Kings
Punjab Kings (PBKS) have pressed the reset button for the umpteenth time ahead of the mega auction, with the biggest headline being the franchise parting ways with captain KL Rahul. Mayank Agarwal and Arshdeep Singh are the only two players retained by PBKS ahead of the IPL 2022 Auction.
While Agarwal and Arshdeep are two excellent choices, PBKS could have pressed even further for the likes of Ravi Bishnoi and Shahrukh Khan. Both are touted to play for India in the near future and could have been solid options in the long run.
Shahrukh, in particular, has made heads turn with his blistering batting in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Such players come in minimal supply and one can only imagine the windfall that is likely to transpire when his name comes up for bidding.
While the retention slab for an uncapped player is ₹4 crore, PBKS could have negotiated deals a lot better and offered more to Bishnoi and Shahrukh. Both are expected to attract plenty of bids at the IPL 2022 Auction and despite their fat purse, PBKS might not find it easy to buy them back.
PBKS could have done a lot better in holding on to both Bishnoi and Shahrukh as well ahead of the IPL 2022 Auction.
#1 Sunrisers Hyderabad
It was expected that David Warner would part ways with Sunrisers Hyderabad after everything that transpired during IPL 2021. But one question still remains - how did SRH fail to retain Rashid Khan ahead of the IPL Auction 2022?
There is arguably no cricketer more valuable in the T20 format than Rashid Khan. That's why SRH's failure to finalize financials with the ace Afghan leggie is nothing short of bemusing.
This alone makes SRH's retention policy ahead of the IPL 2022 Auction a questionable one. The talented duo of Abdul Samad and Umran Malik offer a lot of hope for the future and in Kane Williamson, SRH have a steady head at the top. However, with all the cacophony surrounding the 2021 season, they will need a clear strategy and start afresh for the next edition.
That said, SRH could have done far better in retaining Rashid, even if it meant him being their solitary retention. While it's debatable whether their trio of retained players could have come cheaper at a lesser price at the IPL 2022 Auction, one thing is for certain - Rashid Khan should have been retained.