5 players IPL teams regretted selling

Sometimes their decision proved to be a masterstroke but there have been instances where a tough call has majorly backfired. Some players who were released by their IPL sides went on to become such a huge hit that it made you think what on earth were those sides thinking before taking such a huge gamble.

On that note, here are the players who the IPL teams have regretted selling the most in the last 10 years of the competition:

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#5 Chris Gayle (KKR to RCB)

Christopher Henry Gayle. The name's enough to send a bowler into a frenzy in any T20 game. When you look at the statistics that Gayle has piled up for the Royal Challengers Bangalore it is safe to say that the West Indian powerhouse is an IPL great.

But like any other player, Gayle had a rough patch in the first three seasons of the IPL when he was representing Kolkata Knight Riders. He was not looking like the same player that had created havoc in the inaugural T20 World Cup which is why the KKR management decided to put him on the auction list for season 4.

Gayle joined RCB as an overseas replacement for the injured Dirk Nannes and as the cliche says, the rest is history. Be his staggering total of 733 runs in IPL 2012 or his sensational inning of 175* against Sahara Pune Warriors, Gayle has lightened up the scene in every season since signing with the Bangalore side.

KKR faithful must be scratching their heads over these years when the Jamaican hit six after six for his new side. The fact that Gayle made his debut against KKR and smashed a century at the Eden Gardens made it even worse.

#4 Dwayne Bravo (MI to CSK)

Mumbai's loss was Chennai's gain

It is one of the biggest mysteries of the IPL history as to why the Mumbai Indians let go of an all-rounder like Bravo to CSK for a paltry sum of $200,000. Surely, this was one of the biggest steals in the history of the competition. Bravo was an integral member of the CSK domination in the competition and arguably can be said as the league's MVP for a couple of seasons.

For Mumbai, Bravo had two decent seasons where he picked up 10+ wickets and also chipped in with handy contributions with the bat. But a below-par third season where he was not effective with the bat/bowl led Mumbai to take a call on Bravo's future. This led to a huge difference for CSK and the player.

Bravo instantly impressed for his new side and his demeanour on the field led him to become a darling of the Chennai crowd. In 2013, Bravo picked up a staggering 32 wickets in the competition (which still is the highest ever tally in the IPL) and followed it up with 26 scalps in 2014.

The Mumbai Indians' think tank must be left thinking as to what could have been the scenario with DJ Bravo in their lineup when they were dominating the proceedings in the IPL. Definitely, one of the biggest decisions that made Mumbai regretful.

#3 AB De Villiers (DD to RCB)

AB De Villiers was shockingly released by Delhi in 2011

Mr. 360 represented the Daredevils for the first three seasons of the IPL. But among a number of mind-boggling decisions that Delhi Daredevils have taken over the years, this remains one of their biggest mistakes. A man who has now become synonymous with the Royal Challengers could have become one with the capital side.

Since the move down south, AB De Villiers has been the first name on RCB's team sheet and is an integral member of the side. Two of his moments that stand out in his glittering IPL career are when he once smashed Dale Steyn for 23 runs in an over and when he decimated Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede in 2015 where he scored 133 off 59 balls.

RCB paid just over a million for the South African destructor in 2011 which has been repaid six by six, one match winning inning after another and the plethora of stunning shots over the seven years.

#2 Gautam Gambhir (DD to KKR)

Gambhir led KKR to two IPL titles

Delhi Daredevils are going to be a recurring theme now on this list. And sadly, not for all the good reasons. The 2011 auctions saw the Daredevils go with a clean slate and release all of their star players - one of them being the local lad Gautam Gambhir. The southpaw had scored over 1000 runs for DD in three seasons and ultimately was the auction's most expensive buy when he went to KKR.

The $2.4 million move was criticized by many as a punt taken too far from KKR. How wrong were they! Gambhir not only played brilliantly with the bat, he also captained the side to two IPL titles. He has scored over 300 runs in every edition since joining the city of joy and is the IPL's fourth highest run-getter with 4132 runs.

Though the Daredevils signed him back this time around in the auction, that decision in 2011 may have haunted them all these years.

#1 David Warner (DD to SRH)

Warner won the Orange Cap in 2015 and 2017

Warner is an IPL great and arguably the best batter in the competition since joining Sunrisers Hyderabad. He won two Orange caps in 2015 and 2017 and missed out on a sensational hat-trick in 2016 even when he scored 848 runs (Virat Kohli scored 973). Warner averages 40 in the IPL and is the league's fifth highest run scorer despite playing much fewer innings than the players above him.

All these records make you think why the heck Delhi Daredevils made such a blunder in 2014. Warner joined DD in 2009 and was in the auctions in 2013. It was the Daredevils who signed him up but surprisingly, let him go after just a year in his second stint in the capital.

It turned out to be a game changer for Sunrisers Hyderabad who won the IPL in 2016 thanks to Warner's batting prowess and attacking captaincy. The Aussie hitman led from the front with 848 runs in the title-winning season. All these regrettable decisions from the Daredevils' hierarchy makes you wonder that what are they smoking at the Ferozshah Kotla?