Published: Apr 09, 2015, 12:03 PM (IST)
Edited: Apr 09, 2015, 05:29 PM (IST)
The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises have often traded off big players, who then went on to shine for other teams. The likes of Chris Gayle, Glenn Maxwell etc. were let go by their respective sides, before they found success elsewhere. Nishad Pai Vaidya lists some of the biggest blunders made by the franchises in player retentions and trading.
1. Chris Gayle – Kolkata Knight Riders
The West Indian giant played for the Kolkata Knight Riders during the first three seasons of the IPL. However, they failed to retain him ahead of the IPL 2011 auctions and didn’t pick him. Gayle was then handed a lifeline by the Royal Challengers Bangalore as a replacement for the injured Dirk Nannes. Flying in to India, he played his first game against, quite ironically, Kolkata Knight Riders. Gayle smashed a ton to show what they had missed and has continued to dominate the IPL since He won the Orange Cap in 2011 and 2012. And who can forget his 175 not out in 2013! Kolkata Knight Riders surely missed a trick, but things haven’t been too bad for them either as they have won two titles.
2. Glenn Maxwell – Mumbai Indians
Glenn Maxwell was picked by the Mumbai Indians for a whopping USD 1 million in the 2013 auctions. But, given their embarrassment of riches, Maxwell ended up warming the bench for a major part of the tournament. Ahead of the IPL 2014, Mumbai had the chance to retain him, but managed to hold on to Kieron Pollard and Lasith Malinga. In the auctions, Kings XI Punjab managed to pick him and he turned out to be their star, winning the Player of the Tournament en route to the final. Mumbai had a terrible year in 2014 and missed a player of Maxwell’s ability.
3. Mitchell Johnson – Mumbai Indians
In 2013, Mitchell Johnson was one of Mumbai Indians’ most important players. Bowling with pace upfront, he formed a lethal combination with the slingy Malinga. Ahead of the IPL 2014 auctions, the teams had the option of retaining a maximum of five players, two of whom could be overseas stars. Johnson had ripped apart England with a breathtaking performance in the Ashes 2013-14 and was at his terrifying best. Malinga was on the wane, so it made greater sense to keep Johnson. Instead, they kept faith with Malinga and let go of Johnson, who was picked by Kings XI Punjab.
4. Rohit Sharma – Deccan Chargers
Rohit Sharma made a name for himself in the IPL while playing for the Deccan Chargers. During their 2009 title triumph in South Africa, Rohit was one of their star performers, forming a good bond with skipper Adam Gilchrist. But, Deccan Chargers’ tactics were bizarre as they did not retain him ahead of the IPL 2011 auctions. Rohit was then picked by his hometown franchisee, the Mumbai Indians. Not only has Rohit gone on to carry that consistency forward, but he has also shaped up to become a good captain, leading Mumbai Indians to victory in 2013. He is the second highest run-getter in the IPL behind Suresh Raina. Deccan Chargers faced tough times and were then ultimately sold out, to become the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
5. Gautam Gambhir – Delhi Daredevils
For the first three seasons, Delhi Daredevils had a fantastic unit with the likes of Virender Sehwag, Tillkaratne Dilshan, David Warner, Gautam Gambhir, AB de Villiers and Dirk Nannes, to name a few. However, they retained just Sehwag before the IPL 2011 auctions and released the entire squad. While they still managed to get back a couple of players, they lost out on their core. Gambhir then travelled to Kolkata, where he has become central to their triumphs. Since Gambhir took over captaincy, Kolkata Knight Riders have been transformed into a winning unit, clinching the title in 2012 and 2014. Gambhir also adds stability at the top and has managed to score runs consistently, with only the odd slump. The fact that he is the third highest run-getter in the IPL behind Rohit and Raina shows that he is a force with the bat in the format. Had Delhi kept him and Sehwag together, their fortunes may have been different in the years that followed.
6. Kevin Pietersen – Deccan Chargers
Here is yet another example of Deccan Chargers’ bizarre player policies. Kevin Pietersen was one of their biggest catches during the IPL 2011 auctions. Sadly, he wasn’t available that year and missed out on the IPL. Instead of retaining him, they traded him off to the Delhi Daredevils before the next season. Pietersen went on to shine for Delhi that year and like his West Indian mate, Gayle, smashed a century against his old team. Deccan Chargers bore the brunt of Pietersen’s centuries in one of the games as a reminder of what he was capable of.
7. David Warner – Delhi Daredevils
Warner was a part of the Delhi Daredevils for the first five years of his IPL career. They released Warner before the IPL 2014 auctions and the Sunrisers Hyderabad snapped him. It was quite bizarre considering the fact that Warner had come off successful Ashes 2013-14 and was looking changed batsman. Today, Warner is one of the best batsmen in the world across formats and is in terrific form. The fact that Sunrisers Hyderabad appointed him captain ahead of Shikhar Dhawan shows how much Warner has grown as a player.
8. Yuvraj Singh – Royal Challengers Bangalore
Yuvraj Singh was picked by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for Rs 14 crore during the IPL 2014 auctions. He came into the season following the heartbreak of the ICC World T20 2014 final, where his agonising innings cost India the game. With the knives out, Yuvraj performed decently well in the IPL, showing shades of his best. Royal Challengers Bangalore released him though, and was involved in a competitive big with the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL 2015 auctions. It was clear that they had released him in order to reduce his price, but ended up losing him. Yuvraj was the winner as he secured a Rs 16 crore contract.
9. Brendon McCullum – Kolkata Knight Riders
Brendon McCullum has a special place in IPL history for he welcomed the tournament with a blazing innings in the very first game. He spent five out of the first six seasons with the Kolkata Knight Riders. His only season away was with the Kochi Tuskers Kerala. McCullum may not have been very consistent, but Kolkata could have taken a gamble by retaining him in 2014. Chennai Super Kings picked him up at a time when McCullum worked his way into great form. Following a great performance in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, he could be MS Dhoni’s biggest trump-card in the upcoming season.
10. Amit Mishra – Delhi Daredevils
Yet another example of Delhi Daredevils letting go a good player. Amit Mishra has shown great form in the T20 format and is a genuine wicket-taker. He is not a big name when compared to some of the other players, but is very effective on his day and can consistently dish out match-winning performances. Deccan Chargers picked him up in 2011 and he continued to have a successful time with the Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, Karn Sharma usurped his spot and Mishra was then picked again by the Delhi Daredevils ahead of the 2015 season.
11. Ross Taylor – Royal Challengers Bangalore
Ross Taylor was one of the biggest stars for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first three seasons. The Bangalore crowd used to chant his name with passion, in expectations of an exciting performance. However, their team only retained Virat Kohli and let Taylor go. Since then, he has been a nomad of sorts. In 2011, he was with the Rajasthan Royals before moving to the Delhi Daredevils the next year. Delhi Daredevils then sent him to the Pune Warriors India in 2013 before he returned to the national capital the next year. The changes have certainly affected Taylor as he hasn’t replicated those big performances in recent times. It was quite sad that he found no takers in the 2015 auction. A player of his quality cannot be kept away for very long. He only needs a stable team.
(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and anchor for the site’s YouTube Channel. His Twitter handle is @nishad_45. The above article was first published in CricketCountry)
