IPL Auction 2022: Best XI from the released players
The eight existing Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises had to make some big calls while announcing their retentions ahead of the 2022 auction.
Only four teams - the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Delhi Capitals (DC) - opted to retain a maximum of four players. The other four sides - the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), the Punjab Kings (PBKS), the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and the Rajasthan Royals (RR) - decided to save some money for the mega-auction.
With a few big names finding themselves on the way to the IPL 2022 auction pool, here is the best possible playing XI from the released players. Note: The roles these cricketers play for their respective T20 sides have been considered and adhered to.
Honorable Mentions: Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, David Warner, Ishan Kishan, Ben Stokes, Deepak Chahar, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tripathi, Quinton de Kock
Openers: Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul
Two of the most prolific batters the IPL has seen in recent years, KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan narrowly pip the likes of David Warner and Ishan Kishan to make this XI as the openers. While Rahul opted to leave PBKS, DC decided to move towards youth in their retentions.
Middle Order: Faf du Plessis, Shreyas Iyer (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk)
Faf du Plessis opened the batting for CSK in IPL 2021 to finish a close second in the Orange Cap but he has played at No. 3 and No. 4 for a decent portion of his career at the franchise. He has shown no signs of slowing down and even remains an exceptional fielder.
Shreyas Iyer reportedly wanted to leave DC as the franchise was going to persist with Rishabh Pant as captain, and he is probably the best available Indian skipper in the auction pool. Iyer is part of this IPL XI as its captain as well as a middle-order enforcer who can take on spinners.
Jonny Bairstow generally opens the batting in the IPL but he has fit perfectly into a middle-order role for England in T20I cricket. One of the most dangerous T20 batters in the world, Bairstow would be a valuable addition to any side.
All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Harshal Patel
Quality all-rounders are hard to come by even in a league as prestigious as the IPL, and Ben Stokes narrowly misses out on this side due to his injury issues and failures in the middle order. Stokes' T20 returns have diminished while not opening the batting and he has also struggled to give four overs on a regular basis.
In Stokes' absence, Hardik Pandya takes up the role of pace-bowling all-rounder even though he has had a variety of issues recently. Pandya played the odd cameo in the 2021 T20 World Cup to hint at a return to form and serves as the finisher in this side.
Harshal Patel, who had an extraordinary IPL 2021 campaign where he finished as the Purple Cap winner, is the other all-rounder in the side. While his batting isn't proven at the IPL level, he opens the batting in domestic cricket and can contribute a few lusty blows down the order.
Bowlers: Rashid Khan, Jofra Archer, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal
Rashid Khan and Jofra Archer are two of the best T20 bowlers in the world and rightfully take their places in this IPL XI. Yuzvendra Chahal, who is RCB's leading wicket-taker, is also a straightforward choice.
The final spot is tough to choose amidst a variety of quality options, but Avesh Khan should be the man for the job. An exciting pacer who has it all on paper, the 24-year-old finished second on the IPL 2021 Purple Cap list.