IPL 2023 Auction: Predicting 1 surprise retention each team may make

The IPL 2023 Auction is almost a month away. All 10 franchises have kick-started their planning process for the next edition of the Indian Premier League. Gujarat Titans will enter the tournament as the defending champions.

Ahead of the IPL 2023 Auction, the BCCI has asked all 10 teams to submit their lists of retained and released players by November 15. Fans should expect some surprises once the lists are out tomorrow. In this listicle, we will try to predict the one surprising retention each team may make.

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#1 Chennai Super Kings - Chris Jordan

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) signed Chris Jordan for ₹3.6 crore earlier this year. He played four matches for the team, scalping two wickets at an economy rate of 10.51.

Jordan had a forgettable season in IPL 2022, but he has done well for England at the international level. He is a wicket-taking bowler and can hit some big shots with the bat as well. CSK may give him one more chance.

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#2 Delhi Capitals - Ripal Patel

Ripal Patel is a middle-order batter from Gujarat who has been with the Delhi Capitals (DC) for some time now. He played two games last season, scoring six runs at a strike rate of 200.

Patel is a hard-hitting batter, who has a strike rate of more than 150 in domestic cricket. DC might retain him for IPL 2023.

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#3 Gujarat Titans - Matthew Wade

Matthew Wade won his first IPL title with the Gujarat Titans (GT) last year. He has scored 157 runs in 10 matches for the Ahmedabad-based franchise.

Although Wade had a disappointing season, GT may retain him as they have traded Rahmanullah Gurbaz to Kolkata Knight Riders. With not too many top-quality wicket-keepers likely to be a part of the auction, GT may retain Wade as their backup wicket-keeper for IPL 2023.

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#4 Kolkata Knight Riders - Varun Chakravarthy

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) retained Varun Chakravarthy for ₹8 crore ahead of the IPL 2022 Auction. The spin bowler failed to justify his price tag as he managed only six wickets in 11 matches at an economy rate of 8.51.

However, Varun may receive another contract from KKR this season due to his impressive performances for the team in IPL 2020 and 2021.

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#5 Lucknow Super Giants - Karan Sharma

The Lucknow Super Giants signed uncapped player Karan Sharma for ₹20 lakh at the mega auction. Sharma played one match for the franchise, scoring four runs at a strike rate of 100.

Considering that he is a young all-rounder who has produced decent performances for Uttar Pradesh at the domestic level, Lucknow may retain Karan for IPL 2023.

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#6 Mumbai Indians - Kieron Pollard

Many fans believe that Mumbai Indians (MI) may release Kieron Pollard because of his dismal showing in IPL 2022. The former West Indies captain scored only 144 runs and took four wickets in 11 matches.

Pollard had a rare bad season in the IPL, which is why MI might think of giving him another contract.

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#7 Punjab Kings - Nathan Ellis

Punjab Kings (PBKS) have shown a lot of faith in Australian players over the last few years. They had Nathan Ellis in their squad last season, and he played two matches for the team, picking up three wickets at an economy rate of more than nine runs per over.

Although Ellis proved to be expensive with the ball, PBKS may retain him for IPL 2023 as he has been a wicket-taking option for Australia in T20Is this year.

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#8 Rajasthan Royals - Riyan Parag

Rajasthan Royals (RR)'s team management has backed Riyan Parag a lot despite his shortcomings in IPL matches. Parag scored 183 runs and took one wicket in 17 matches of IPL 2022.

Given that they have invested so much time in grooming him as a finisher and a leg-spin option, RR may retain Parag for IPL 2023.

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#9 Royal Challengers Bangalore - Mahipal Lomror

Mahipal Lomror showed a lot of promise while playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2022. He scored 86 runs in seven matches at an average of 17.20.

His numbers aren't great, but Lomror's strike rate was more than 150. The RCB team management may retain him for IPL 2023 and assign him a better role this season.

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#10 SunRisers Hyderabad - Kane Williamson

IPL Eliminator - Delhi v Sunrisers (Image: Getty)

Kane Williamson had the worst IPL season of his career in 2022, finishing with 216 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of less than 95. The SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) skipper struggled to score runs for his team.

However, fans should note that Williamson was dealing with injury issues before IPL 2022. He seems to have recovered fully now and looked in good touch during New Zealand's last few games of the T20 World Cup 2022. SRH may retain him as their captain for IPL 2023.