10 players IPL franchises shouldn't have released over the years

#5 Ambati Rayudu

Ambati Rayudu

Ambati Rayudu was one of the most talented players in the Mumbai Indians set up. He joined their franchise in 2010 and played with them till 2017. It always seemed that he was their hidden gem in the middle. He performed well with the bat, scored runs when his team needed it the most, and was good behind the stumps. That wasn’t enough for the Mumbai Indians to retain him for another season - a mistake that would prove too costly.

He appeared for Chennai Super Kings in the 2018 season. Right from the start, everyone felt that Rayudu was one good season away from becoming a household name, and it just so happens that this was that season for him. Wearing the prestigious yellow jersey, Rayudu took the field as a replacement for Kedar Jadhav.

Immediately, he was promoted to open the batting, and that’s where it clicked for him. He scored 602 runs in 16 matches with a strike-rate of 149.75. He also scored his maiden IPL century in that season. Rayudu became one of the main reasons for CSK’s triumphant return.

One can only speculate what would have happened had Rayudu opened the batting for Mumbai Indians. Maybe, MI would have won the coveted title. But for now, this remains MI’s biggest regret to date.

#4 Shane Watson

Shane Watson

Shane Watson was not yet a household name when he first appeared in the IPL for the Rajasthan Royals, but he was purchased for a hefty price tag. Right from the start, the platform was set for Watson to become a huge superstar. He did well for himself in the inaugural edition and was instrumental in helping RR clinch their first IPL title. He was also named the player of the tournament.

For years, Watson was considered their star player and even went on to become captain of the franchise. Once RR was banned from the IPL, the Australian all-rounder had to bid farewell to the franchise where it all started.

During this time, Watson went on to have a below-average performance in the next seasons of the cash-rich league while playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. At the end of the 2017 edition of the IPL, it was clear to everyone that Watson wasn’t in the best of form.

This could’ve been the reason why Rajasthan Royals decided against retaining him and went with Steve Smith instead. Surprisingly, Watson went on to play for CSK. He redeemed himself perfectly and proved a perfect opening partner for the in-form Ambati Rayudu.

He was one of their leading scorers with 555 runs in 15 innings with a strike-rate of 154.59. 2018 also turned out to be his best season yet. He scored two hundreds and two fifties including a fantastic unbeaten century in the finals.

#3 AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli

AB de Villiers has become so synonymous with RCB that many fans don’t remember that he made his IPL debut for the Delhi Daredevils in 2008. He spent three seasons with the franchise from 2008 to 2010. Of those three seasons, he had only one memorable year, where he scored one century and three half-centuries.

De Villiers became known for his strokeplay and his ability to hit the ball to every part of the ground. On his day, he can dominate any bowler to all parts of the field. However, his time at DD was forgettable at best. He was batting lower down the order at number 5. This didn’t give the former South African captain enough chances to score runs, and his team suffered due to his poor performances. Hence, Delhi Daredevils decided to release him in 2011.

He was picked up by the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2011 IPL auctions. This is where he has played from 2011 to the present. “Mr. 360” has put on many scintillating performances over the past couple of years. The swashbuckling batsman has formed a formidable duo with RCB skipper Virat Kohli. The pair have also put on many mind-boggling partnerships over the years.

Delhi is often known for their premature decisions at the auction, and this is one of those decisions that has hurt them deeply.

#2 David Warner

David Warner

David Warner was a well-known commodity in T20 cricket when he debuted for Delhi Daredevils. There was a lot of buzz surrounding Warner’s arrival, especially since he had scored back-to-back tons in the Champions League T20 in the previous year.

However, he failed to live up to the hype. Warner played five seasons with the franchise and scored two tons during this duration. His best with DD came in 2013 when he scored 410 runs. Despite this, the former Australian vice-captain was released from his contract the following year.

In 2014, he was picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad. David Warner single-handedly elevated SRH’s batting in the IPL. The Australian batsman went to have some of his best performances with SRH winning the orange cap on two occasions.

He also holds the record for most half-centuries in a single season with nine Warner is also the eighth highest run-scorer in IPL history with a total of 4014 runs in 114 matches. Seeing how his career turned out, Delhi probably could have held on to him for a few more seasons.

#1 Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle is one of the most destructive batsmen in the world. Everyone remembers his antics for RCB. But before joining RCB, Gayle was part of another IPL franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders. Gayle played for KKR from 2008 to 2010. He did not play a single match for them in 2008. When he finally got to play in 2009, he wasn’t able to fulfill the expectations his franchise had of him. The Jamaican scored two half-centuries in three years for KKR before finally being released.

In 2011, he joined the Royal Challengers Bangalore. The Chinnaswamy stadium seemed to be the perfect playground for the ‘Universe Boss’. The ground was small, and it suited his batting style. Gayle went on to become a fan favourite among the loyal RCB fans. He went on to etch his name into the record books. Gayle also won the Orange Cap on back-to-back occasions and even holds the record for the highest individual score (175 not out) in T20 history. He has also scored the most tons in the IPL. He played for RCB till he was released in 2017.

KKR can only wonder what would have happened had they retained him for one more season.