IPL 2014 Auctions: Five players who should have been retained

Dwayne Smith

Dwayne Smith – Where does he go?

The Caribbean power-hitter was one of the many surprise exclusions from the Mumbai Indians’ roster after scintillating performances in both the previous season as well as in the Champions League. For many ardent fans, he was the answer to Mumbai’s long-standing opening woes. One still remembers how he steered the RIL-owned side to an improbable win over the Chennai Super Kings in the last over.

With four half-centuries in the 2013 edition, the tall West Indian not only provided fireworks at the top of the order, but also proved his mettle in the field with some acrobatic moves.

Now the all-rounder finds himself back in the player pool, waiting for the chance to display his wares once again in the IPL circus. On Indian pitches, Dwayne has already proved that he is more than handy with both bat and ball. Yet, the franchise chose to retain teammate Kieron Pollard, despite the power hitter nursing a knee injury since October of last year. In the rush to retain the core members, MI overlooked the Barbados powerhouse without a second thought.

Delhi and Kolkata might just go all out in bidding for Dwayne – Mumbai may just have lost the plot here. I expect to see the burly fellow send the ball soaring into the stands at a greater frequency this time!

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are the author’s own. They do not reflect those of the website as a whole.