Analysis and review of 2018 IPL retentions

This year's IPL retention was a mix of both predictable and surprising. Teams that have been successful over the years tried to retain the core of their side while others looked to rebuild from scratch.

Some big names like Gautam Gambhir, Chris Gayle, and Harbhajan Singh were sent into the auction pool and the biggest surprise came in the form of Sarfaraz Khan, who was retained by RCB.

On that note, here's a look at the players retained by each franchise and what that means going into the auction:

Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

Retention Strategy

CSK's management wanted to retain the core that was with them in 2015 before their suspension. MS Dhoni's retention was obvious. R Ashwin might feel a bit hard done by after his association with the team for so long ended. R Jadeja and S Raina were expected to be retained by the franchise.

Retention

MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni will be back with CSK after 2 years

"Thala is back!" read every poster in Chennai. Such has been the bond between the former Indian captain and the city. The management made it clear way before the retention deadline that they would go all out for Dhoni even if he went into the auction pool.

Approx. value (in Auction): 12 Cr. to 15 Cr.

Retained: 15 Cr.

Suresh Raina

The highest run-scorer in IPL history was expected to be retained by the franchise. He has played a pivotal role in Chennai's dominance over the years.

Approx. Value (in Auction): 6.5 Cr. to 10 Cr.

Retained: 11 Cr.

Ravindra Jadeja

A left-arm off-spinner with the ability to deliver four useful overs and provide lower-order runs will always be in demand. Add to that the experience that Jadeja possesses and you have a match winner.

Approx. Value: 5 Cr. To 8 Cr.

Retained: 7 Cr.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)

De Villiers and Kohli are back

Retention Strategy

The management wanted to retain the two stalwarts of the Bangalore franchise: Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. They also provided the biggest surprise of the day when they retained young Sarfaraz Khan.

Retention

Virat Kohli

The Indian and Bangalore skipper was always going to be retained by the franchise. His retention means he is now the most expensive player in the IPL, with 17 Cr. in his bag. But he's worth every single penny.

Approx. Value: 16 Cr. To 22 Cr.

Retained: 17 Cr.

AB de Villiers

The superman from South Africa has been with the franchise ever since he moved from Delhi and has been an integral part of the setup.

Approx. Value: 10 Cr. to 14 Cr.

Retained: 11 Cr.

Sarfaraz Khan

The surprise of the season? Definitely. The management chose him over players like KL Rahul, Yuzvendra Chahal and the "Universe Boss" Chris Gayle. This was surely due to the fact that he is an uncapped player worth only 3 Cr.

Approx. Value: 50 L to 1.5 Cr.

Retained: 1.75 Cr.

Mumbai Indians

Mumbai Indians are the only team to have lifted the trophy thrice

Retention Strategy

Their strategy was similar to Chennai's: retain the core and build the rest of the team around them. Bumrah at 7 Cr. is a steal. However, they've let go of Mumbai veterans in Harbhajan Singh and Keiron Pollard.

Retention

Rohit Sharma

Rohit has been retained for his amazing captaincy skills and exploits with the bat which he will be expected to replicate in the next IPL.

Approx. Value: 12 Cr. To 16 Cr.

Retained: 15 Cr.

Hardik Pandya

A seam-bowling all-rounder with great finishing abilities, Pandya is a player that every team would want. A Mumbai find, Pandya may have got a bit more than what he would have in the auctions.

Approx. Value: 7 Cr. To 10 Cr.

Retained: 11 Cr.

Jasprit Bumrah

The yorker king has been essential to the team's success ever since his emergence on the scene. Just like Hardik, he is also a Mumbai product. He should probably have been the second retention at 11 Cr.

Approx. Value: 8 Cr. To 12 Cr.

Retained: 7 Cr.

Kings XI Punjab (KXIP)

Axar will be keen to repay the faith of the KXIP management

Retention Strategy

KXIP have not had much success and an overhaul was probably the only solution to their woes. They've retained Axar as he's a good all-rounder in Indian conditions. They might just entrust him with captaincy responsibilities as well.

Retention

Axar Patel

He has done well for Punjab in the past, and has also performed decently for India when given the opportunity.

Approx. Value: 5 Cr. To 8 Cr.

Retained: 6.75 Cr.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

Andre Russell will be back in his purple outfit

Retention Strategy

KKR have decided to majorly overhaul their squad. They've been in this situation before though, famously getting rid of Sourav Ganguly and appointing Gautam Gambhir as their skipper. This time around they've left him out and retained their foreign contingent. The exclusion of Manish Pandey and Kuldeep Yadav were surprising as well.

Retention

Andre Russell

The Jamaican all-rounder was impressive during his stay at KKR and has all the ingredients of a successful T20 all-rounder.

Approx. Value: 5 Cr. To 8 Cr.

Retained: 7 Cr.

Sunil Narine

The Trinidadian spinner has been Kolkata's mainstay for some time now. Now that he has also become an explosive opener, there was no way KKR weren't going to retain him.

Approx. Value: 5 Cr. To 8 Cr.

Retained: 8.5 Cr.

Delhi Daredevils

Chris Morris is a player to watch out for

Retention Strategy

They've hung on to the players who did well for them in the last season. Delhi have shown faith in Rishabh Pant, who, despite having a poor first-class season, has earned 8.5 Cr. for himself.

Retention

Chris Morris

He is a premier all-rounder and a death bowling specialist and had a phenomenal IPL 2017.

Approx. Value: 6 Cr. To 9 Cr.

Retained: 7.1 Cr.

Rishabh Pant

Pant hasn't been in the best of form of late and has surely fetched more than what he would have in the auctions.

Approx. Value: 3 Cr. To 7 Cr.

Retained: 8 Cr.

Shreyas Iyer

He has been rewarded for a good first-class season and a good showing during the India-Sri Lanka series.

Approx. Value: 5 Cr. To 8 Cr.

Retained at: 7 Cr.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

This duo will be back in the Orange Army

Retention Strategy

They've retained their best batsman and their best bowler as they aim to build around them. However, they've let go of Rashid Khan which was an interesting decision.

Retentions

David Warner

He captained the Orange Army to the title in 2016 and has the potential to repeat that. He's one of the top run-scorers in the IPL and has always led from the front.

Approx. Value: 10 Cr. To 14 Cr.

Retained: 12 Cr.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The Swing King and Yorker Master will continue his stint at Hyderabad. He is an integral part of SRH's setup as he is capable of bowling in the powerplay and at the death. At 8.5 Cr., he is a bargain.

Approx. Value: 9 Cr. To 12 Cr.

Retained: 8.5 Cr.

Rajasthan Royals

Steve Smith will be gunning for glory

Retention Strategy

They didn't have many options to choose from with only Ajinkya Rahane and Dhawal Kulkarni the other candidates in the mix.

Retention

Steve Smith

Last season, he led Pune to the finals and was instrumental in their campaign. He captained the side very well and led from the front throughout the tournament.

Approx. Value: 8 Cr. To 12 Cr.

Retained: 12 Cr.