7 big players who might go unretained in IPL 2018

IPL 2018 auction will happen in Bengaluru on January 27 and 28.

Chris Gayle

The deadline for the submission of player retention wish-list by the franchises for the upcoming IPL 2018 is just a day away. The franchises will be ready with the players they want to retain and speculations will be high on which players will be left out in the auction and which will have a confirmed home for the upcoming season.

There is a possibility of some big names not being retained by their teams and there might be some surprisingly big names in the list of non-retained players.

Here are 7 such players who might not be retained by their teams:

Gautam Gambhir (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Gautam Gambhir has won two IPL titles for KKR | IPL

Gautam Gambhir, who has won the IPL title two times for the Kolkata Knight Riders, recently, disclosed that he is yet to hear from the KKR officials about the upcoming auctions and retentions.  He was brought by the team in order to change its fortunes and Gambhir did just that, by helping them pick players like Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, who have been important in their two title wins.

But with the game-changing at a fast pace, 36-year-old Gambhir’s game is not suited for the top order and with KKR officials showing no interest in meeting him, Gambhir’s time with KKR might be over.


Shikhar Dhawan (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Shikhar Dhawan has captained SRH | AFP

Shikhar Dhawan has played for many teams in the IPL, but found success with Sunrisers Hyderabad, as he won the IPL 2016 title with them. He has a good record with Sunrisers Hyderabad and scored 479 runs in 14 matches in 2017 tournament.

But with a new focus in mind, SRH team management might not retain Dhawan, instead choosing David Warner and Bhuvneshwar Kumar over him. It will be a pure money management decision, if taken by the SRH management and they might save quite a few bucks for building a new team, at expense of not retaining one Dhawan.


Yusuf Pathan (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Yusuf Pathan's IPL career with KKR has been a case of hits and misses | AFP

Yusuf Pathan has played for the Kolkata Knight Riders since 2010 and despite an uneven run with the bat for most of the eight seasons; Pathan had come good for them when they needed him. But with many younger options from both India and overseas to replace the inconsistent Pathan, KKR might finally let their big hitter go, bringing an end to a successful partnership.


Yuvraj Singh (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

SRH might not retain Yuvraj Singh based on his current fitness and form | AFP

Yuvraj Singh has been one of the most costly players in the auctions over the years, but his performances have been pedestrian, to say the least. One of the best T20 players from India, Yuvraj Singh’s IPL career has been a disappointment so far; though he helped SRH win the title in 2016, by playing important innings in the final match.

But SRH team management might not want to retain Yuvraj Singh and lose a big amount from their purse. His current form and fitness also put a question mark over whether the management requiring him in the squad.


Glenn Maxwell (Kings XI Punjab)

Glenn Maxwell didn't have a good IPL in 2017 | AFP

Glenn Maxwell has had a misfiring season in IPL with the Kings XI Punjab team in 2016 when he failed to score runs and lead the team properly. Even the team mentor Virender Sehwag was critical of Maxwell’s performance and with the team already struggling to keep afloat in terms of performances since the last few years, Maxwell might find himself in the auction for IPL 2018.


Dwayne Bravo (Chennai Super Kings)Dwayne Bravo was integral to CSK's success | AFP

Dwayne Bravo missed the IPL 2017 in order to recuperate from his thigh injury sustained during the BBL 2016 season. Bravo played for Gujarat Lions in IPL 2016 and before that, he was an integral part of the Chennai Super Kings squad. With CSK already confirming the retentions of MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina, they might not go for retaining Bravo and saving a big amount in their purse to rebuild their squad for IPL 2018.


Chris Gayle (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Chris Gayle's slowing reflexes and advancing age might hamper his retention by RCB | AFP

Chris Gayle has taken IPL by storm ever since he was brought by Royal Challengers Bangalore. He has scored five centuries for RCB in the IPL, but now the management has to make the tough decision of whether to retain him or not. At the age of 38, Gayle’s reaction timings have slowed over the years and he missed many games for RCB in IPL 2017 due to form and injury and his nonperformance was a big reason that RCB finished at the bottom of the table.

RCB will definitely retain Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, but by the looks of it, Chris Gayle’s time with RCB might have come to an end.

 
 

By Jatin Sharma - 03 Jan, 2018

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