IPL auction plays a crucial role in dictating the team’s fortunes in the whole season. Teams may just add or subtract a couple of players from their squad and the tweaks sometimes provide the necessary balance. Even though there won’t be a mega auction this time around, a mini-auction is supposed to take place before the commencement of IPL 2021. IPL Teams have been asked to decide on the player retentions up to 21st January 2021.

Stumpsandbails provides an insight about the players who are likely to be released by their IPL teams:

#8 Royal Challengers Bangalore:

Royal Challengers Bangalore have been IPL bridesmaids for the longest time. They flatter to deceive every season and end up disappointing their fans. RCB will be surely looking to make a few additions in the IPL 2021 mini-auction and before that, they will surely want to trim their squad. The Bangalore franchise will likely part ways with Josh Philippe, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, and Pavan Deshpande. They would love to have Dawid Malan in place of Josh Philippe heading into IPL 2021. While the other Indian talent hasn’t really done anything of note to be retained in the squad.

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#7 Kolkata Knight Riders:

KKR are yet to stamp their authority in the IPL post their double win in 2012 and 2014. They finished 5th in the points table in IPL 2020. KKR will be looking at 3 players to release from their squad which will not only lighten up their purse but also provides them with options later. Chris Green, Siddhesh Lad, and Manimaran Siddharth will be the 3 players who are likely to face the axe from KKR. Green was picked up as a backup option for Sunil Narine, but he doesn’t ooze the same class. While Lad and Siddharth have done nothing more than warming the bench for the franchise, so they well might be put back into the auction pool.

#6 Chennai Super Kings:

Chennai Super Kings failed to qualify for the playoffs first time in IPL 2020. They will be looking closely to revise their squad heading into IPL 2021. CSK franchise are likely to part ways with seasoned performers like Murali Vijay, Kedar Jadhav, and Josh Hazlewood. While Vijay and Jadhav have had decent IPL careers but both these players are now well past their prime and it’s time CSK looked beyond them. While Hazlewood doesn’t exactly fit the bill of a modern T20 bowler, his dropping from the squad will boost CSK’s purchasing power too going into the auctions.

#5 Kings XI Punjab:

Kings XI Punjab had a roller-coaster IPL 2020. They remain one of the few teams to have not won the IPL title even once. KXIP are most likely to part ways with Hardus Viljoen, Sarfaraz Khan, and Karun Nair. All 3 players have failed to live up to the expectations of the franchise and heading into IPL 2021, these players look certain to face the axe. Sarfaraz Khan who had a stellar domestic season in 2019-20 failed to replicate his magic at the IPL and this may prove to be his undoing.

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#4 Rajasthan Royals:

The perennial money-ball team of the IPL, have failed to replicate the magic of their inaugural season win. They had a quality batting unit and Jofra Archer in bowling but had very little apart from that. The franchise might be looking to release players like Robin Uthappa, Manan Vohra, and Varun Aaron from their squad as these players have not exactly set the stage on fire for them. Even though Uthappa had a fairly decent stint as an opener, his best years are well and truly behind him.

#3 Delhi Capitals:

Delhi Capitals had one of their best seasons in IPL 2020 where they finished as runners-up. They will be looking to make an odd tweak to their team by releasing players like Daniel Sams, Alex Carey, and Mohit Sharma. While Sams and Carey came into IPL 2020 with rich T20 credentials they have surely been found wanting on a stage like IPL. Sharma on the other hand looks like a spent force and is at the fag end of his cricketing career.

#2 Mumbai Indians:

Mumbai Indians is the team to beat in IPL. They have been a champion side across the last few years in the IPL. While there is little to chop and change for MI, they will be looking to release players like Aditya Tare, Sherfane Rutherford, and Digvijay Deshmukh from their setup. Releasing these players will strengthen MI’s squad as they will have a crisp core unit to choose from.

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#1 Sunrisers Hyderabad:

One of the most formidable teams of the IPL, Sunrisers Hyderabad have a solid core team at their disposal. They will surely look to address the middle-order muddle by making some noticeable buys in IPL 2021 mini-auction. SRH will be looking to release players like Shreevats Goswami, Fabian Allen, and Basil Thampi from their setup. While they might still look to buy back Allen in the auction at a lesser price, they are pretty certain to do away with the services of Goswami and Thampi.