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The eight existing IPL teams announced their retained players' lists on Tuesday evening, ahead of the upcoming IPL Auction 2022. There were some huge surprises in store for the fans as a few big names have returned to the auction pool, whereas other players have unexpectedly been retained.
Four uncapped players, namely Yashasvi Jaiswal, Arshdeep Singh, Abdul Samad and Umran Malik, have received another contract from their IPL franchises ahead of IPL Auction 2022.
However, the following five internationally capped players have been released, although a majority of the cricket universe expected them to be retained before the IPL Auction 2022.
#1 Harshal Patel, Royal Challengers Bangalore
It is rare to see a team releasing a player who won the Purple Cap and the Most Valuable Player award in the previous season. However, Royal Challengers Bangalore have done just that as they have let go of Harshal Patel before IPL Auction 2022.
Patel could now be a hot pick at the mega auction as multiple franchises will be interested in his services. Since RCB retained only three players, it was a little surprising to see Harshal not being the fourth name.
#2 Devdutt Padikkal, Royal Challengers Bangalore
Devdutt Padikkal was one of the top performers for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the last two seasons. His consistency played a vital role in RCB's fourth-place finish in the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
Fans expected the Royal Challengers Bangalore to retain either Harshal Patel or Devdutt Padikkal as one of their four players ahead of IPL Auction 2022. However, RCB have surprisingly released both of them.
#3 Ishan Kishan, Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians picked Suryakumar Yadav over Ishan Kishan as their fourth retention ahead of IPL Auction 2022. Many fans expected Ishan to be retained because he is younger than Yadav.
Kishan is one of the most aggressive Indian batters. He has the capability to turn the games in a matter of minutes, but it seems the southpaw will now return to the auction pool.
#4 Shubman Gill, Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata Knight Riders have retained Andre Russell, Varun Chakravarthy, Venkatesh Iyer and Sunil Narine ahead of IPL Auction 2022. The Kolkata-based franchise have let go of Shubman Gill, who was expected to be a part of the leadership group.
It is possible that the Knight Riders will sign Gill at IPL Auction 2022. However, they could have retained him prior to the mega auction.
#5 Shikhar Dhawan, Delhi Capitals
Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul and Yuzvendra Chahal have reportedly been released for various reasons. While Iyer wanted a leadership role, Chahal and Rahul did not agree to the financial offers made by their franchises.
However, Shikhar Dhawan's release was a surprise. There has been no update regarding why he has been released, but DC have retained four players ahead of their most consistent batter in the recent IPL seasons. It should not be a surprise if Dhawan ends up joining Ahmedabad or Lucknow before IPL Auction 2022.
