IPL 2019: 4 players whom the franchises might regret not retaining

When the IPL franchises put forward their list of players released ahead of the next auction, eyes were rubbed by the fans since there were quite a few names which were not expected to be released.

The franchises might have made blunders by letting go quite a few quality players just because of their shoddy performances in 2018. It is important to show persistence when your players are going through a lean patch and one bad season does not reflect the quality and talent of a player.

Many times, the strategy of releasing over-priced players and buying them back at a cheaper price does not work since other teams are ready to pay huge amounts and there is always the risk of losing a star player. Hence, it is better to retain the players who have proved to be great match-winners in the past even though they have one off season.

In this article, we will take a look at 4 players whom the franchise owners would regret not retaining.

#4 Aaron Finch

Aaron Finch is currently the best opener in T20 international cricket. The record-holder of the highest-ever T20I score was in the Kings XI Punjab ranks last time around. However, Finchy was nowhere close to his best and had a season to forget.

The KXIP management showed him the exit doors ahead of the IPL 2019. It was a wrong choice considering his abilities as a T20 player and the damage he can do when he is at his best. Also, it is to be considered that Finch batted in the middle order during the last IPL which is not his natural position.

The Kings XI Punjab will regret letting go a player of Finch's class. He could have been very destructive at the top and along with either KL Rahul or Chris Gayle would have formed the most dangerous opening combination in the league.

#3 Wriddhiman Saha

The Sunrisers wicket-keeper batsman missed a lot of games last season because of ill form, and later thumb and shoulder injuries. After just one season, he was let go by the Sunrisers Hyderabad and Saha finds himself in the auction pool again.

Wriddhiman is a very underrated T20 player. He is adept behind the stumps and is a good contributor with the bat down the order who can play useful cameos. Since he ticks all the boxes, the Sunrisers Hyderabad had no reason to release Saha and they will rue letting go a wicket-keeper of his caliber a lot.

It was harsh to axe Saha since he had not got a fair opportunity at the SRH because of injuries. Sunrisers now lack a quality gloveman which they will have to hunt for at the auction.

#3 Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami is one of India's ace fast bowlers in the present times. He can be lively with his pace, makes the ball talk and is a reverse-swing specialist. Shami has been playing for the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL since 2014.

Due to lackluster performance in the first few games last season, Shami was dropped from the side and he could not pave his way back. He was released by the Daredevils ahead of the IPL auction 2019 and Shami is without an IPL team now.

An Indian capped bowler with substantial international experience is always a valuable asset to any IPL side. If not an automatic choice in the playing XI, Shami is definitely a good backup. Hence Delhi Daredevils might have been wrong in letting Mohammed Shami go irrespective of his bad season in 2018.

#1 Brendon McCullum

The star New Zealand opening batsman was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore to bolster their batting firepower during the IPL 2018. McCullum did not feature in all the games and hence couldn't get a fair chance to showcase his batting potential.

He played only 6 matches scoring 127 runs at a strike rate of 144. Unfortunately, he was let go after just one season by the Royal Challengers and the move was considered surprising for various reasons.

Firstly, McCullum is a proven-match who can tear apart any bowling attack on his day. Hence, there is no doubt regarding his credentials as a T20 player. Secondly, he was available for the entire season since he does not play international cricket anymore.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore will regret not retaining Brendon McCullum since he could have formed a very formidable duo with Virat Kohli at the top. Instead of spending a huge amount on another foreign opener, they could have kept Brendon McCullum which would have been beneficial for them.