IPL 2019: 3 players that should have been retained, but weren't

#1 Shikhar Dhawan (SRH)

Dhawan will be a part of DD in 2019

Shikhar Dhawan is a name that needs no introduction. The 32-year-old Indian opener has been playing in the IPL right since the inaugural season, and has also been a regular presence in the national team.

Having played in 11 seasons of the league, Dhawan is someone who doesn't need to prove his abilities anymore. The left-hander has over 4000 runs in 142 outings, at a decent strike-rate of 123.5.

He had been a part of the SRH side since it had joined the IPL, and had been consistently performing for them. Even in the 2018 season, he scored close to 500 runs in 16 outings with an average of almost 40. 2012 was his best season where he scored 569 runs in 15 innings at a healthy average of 40.

In 2019 though, the Delhi lad will return home, and will be seen in blue and red at the Kotla. The addition of Dhawan to the Delhi squad straightens their already strong top order, filled with the likes of Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant.

But will SRH be able to find an able replacement for him? Considering the paucity of Indian top order batsmen available at the auctions, that seems unlikely.