5 instances of player retentions going wrong in the IPL

5 instances of player retentions going wrong in the IPL
The IPL trophy

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been a perfect platform for young stars to make a name for themselves and for established stars to further their reputation. The annual tournament is without a doubt, the biggest T20 league in the world and during its 13-year history, has produced a plethora of memorable moments.

One of the most important aspects of the IPL is the annual auctions which are held. In these auctions, each team has a choice of retaining certain players and releasing the rest into the auction pool. If a player is retained, the money that was initially paid to him while he was bought in a previous auction will be paid again. Teams tend to always retain their most bankable and reliable players at auctions.

But there have been instances of player retentions going wrong with the retained player unable to live up to the billing and fading away. We take a look at 5 such instances in the tournament’s history where the same transpired.

Sarfaraz Khan – RCB (2018)

Mumbai batsman Sarfaraz Khan was considered the next big thing in Indian T20 cricket. He started off in explosive fashion for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and played a few important knocks down the order. His unorthodox shots caught the attention of cricketers and fans and it looked like Sarfaraz was there to stay. His strike-rate in his first two seasons of the IPL read a whopping 173.52.

The RCB franchise thus chose to retain him before the 2018 mega auctions for a sum of Rs. 1.75 crores. However, Sarfaraz couldn’t live up to the standards he had set for himself and managed to score just 51 runs for his side in the season. He was then released in the next season and picked up by Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) where he hasn’t got a lot of opportunities to shine.

Piyush Chawla – KKR (2018)

One of the most consistent performers in the IPL, Piyush Chawla was someone who delivered for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) whenever called upon. The third highest wicket-taker in IPL history also played a crucial part in his franchise winning the title in 2014 by contributing with both bat and ball.

In 2018, KKR chose to retain him through the Right to Match card for a sum of Rs. 4.20 crores and although Chawla kept contributing by picking up important wickets, his economy rate meant batsmen started targeting him to score quick runs against. In 2020, the leggie appeared for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) where he was lackluster.

Pawan Negi – RCB (2018)

Pawan Negi burst into the scene as a handy left-arm spinner and a pinch-hitter down the order. He impressed with good performances for his sides Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings. Negi was then acquired by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2017 where he shone by picking up 16 wickets.

RCB hence, chose to retain him ahead of the 2018 mega auction. While the same shouldn’t come under scrutiny considering Negi’s impact in the previous season, the fact that they chose him over the likes of KL Rahul and Chris Gayle came as a surprise to many. Negi couldn’t replicate the success of his 2017 exploits in subsequent seasons and he has lost his place in the side although he appears regularly as a gun substitute fielder.

David Miller – KXIP (2014)

South African batsman David Miller made waves in 2013 for Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) with a stunning century in a league match to help clinch victory from the jaws of defeat against RCB. He was then retained by the franchise in 2014 and very soon was even promoted to the captain’s role.

However, the southpaw was never able to live up to his big-hitting reputation as match-winning knocks were few and far between. The huge amount of Rs. 12.5 crores in 2014 reduced to Rs. 3 crores in 2018 and very soon, Miller lost his place in the side and was acquired by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) where he isn’t getting any chances to feature in the playing XI.

Stuart Binny – RR (2014)

Karnataka’s Stuart Binny was once considered the solution to India’s all-rounder problems and although he did shine in quite a few matches for both his IPL franchises and the country, he was never able to justify the hype that always surrounded him. In the 2013 edition of the tournament, Binny was excellent for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) as he contributed to his side’s third-place finish.

IN 2014, he was retained by the franchise and he was unable to keep up his good form. He was soon dropped from the team and seldom featured in matches. In the next two years, he could only muster 197 runs along with 7 wickets. Binny, now 36, finds himself without an IPL franchise at the moment.

Also Read: IPL 2021: CSK planning on releasing 7 to 8 players before auction – Reports