IPL 2019: 5 released players we may not see again in IPL

It was a busy Thursday for the IPL franchises as they announced the final list of players they have retained for the 2019 Indian Premier League campaign. They now have a month time to work out the team combinations and get ready for the IPL 2019 auction.

Chennai Super Kings made the announcement a day before the deadline and there were no surprises. They released only three players from their title-winning squad and Mark Wood was the only prominent name to be left out. Mumbai Indian retained the core of the team and released 10 players. Almost all the other franchises tried to retain the core and released the rest of the players.

Some of the notable names to be released on Thursday were Gautam Gambhir, Glenn Maxwell, Jaydev Unadkat, Pat Cummins, Wriddhiman Saha, Brendon McCullum, Aaron Finch, Axar Patel, Yuvraj Singh, and Chris Woakes. More than 50 players have been released and there is a big chance that we may not see some of them in IPL again.

On that note, let’s take a look at the 5 released players we may not see again in IPL.

#5 Daniel Christian

Dan Christian may not feature in IPL 2019

One of the most experienced T20 cricketers in the world at the moment, Dan Christian has played 240 T20 games in his career so far. An all-rounder by trade, Christian has played 19 One Day Internationals and 16 T20Is for Australia between 2010 and 2017.

Christian made his IPL debut in 2011 but has played only 40 games in the Indian Premier League. With a batting average of only 17.84 and the highest score of 39, the 35-year-old has struggled to do his job with the bat on Indian pitches. With the ball, Christian has picked up 34 wickets at an economy rate of 8 runs an over.

With only a few overseas slots available for each franchise in the 2019 IPL auction, Dan Christian might go unsold. Also, given his age and IPL track record, it will be really hard for him to find a franchise in the future as well.

Teams Played: Deccan Chargers, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rising Pune Supergiant, and Delhi Daredevils.

#4 Vinay Kumar

Vinay Kumar struggled for consistency in the past few seasons

One of the most successful medium pacers to have ever played in the Indian domestic cricket, Vinay Kumar struggled to make it big in the international arena. Vinay Kumar so far has played only 31 ODIs, one Test, and nine T20Is for India.

Though he was mighty effective in the early editions of IPL, he has struggled for consistency in the past few IPL campaigns. The 34-year-old Karnataka seamer has picked up 105 wickets in IPL from 105 matches. Vinay has won three IPL titles - one with Kolkata Knight Riders and two with Mumbai Indians.

In his last three IPL campaigns, Vinay Kumar has played only 6 games and went for over 10.5 runs an over. He seemed to have lost his zip in the shortest version of the game and was picked easily by the batsmen. KKR released him on Thursday and his chances of finding a franchise for the next IPL season looks very slim at the moment.

Teams played: Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Mumbai Indians.

#3 Mitchell Johnson

Chris Lynn and Mitchell Johnson

One of the most successful fast bowlers of the 21st century, Mitchell Johnson’s cricketing career declined with age. He struggled for consistency in the past few years and wasn’t at his best.

Johnson finished his debut IPL season with 24 wickets as he led Mumbai Indians to their maiden IPL title. Sadly, that turned out to be his most successful IPL season until now.

In his last four IPL campaigns, Mitchell Johnson has played only 23 games and picked up 20 wickets at an economy rate of more than nine runs an over. In his last IPL campaign, Johnson was a huge disappointment for Kolkata Knight Riders with just two wickets in six games.

He conceded more than 10 runs an over and was extremely ineffective. KKR released him on Thursday and it looks like we have already witnessed the last of Johnson in IPL.

Teams played: Mumbai Indians, Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders.

#2 JP Duminy

Duminy in Mumbai colours

One of the most accomplished batsmen in the history of South African cricket, Duminy has played a huge part in South Africa’s success for almost a decade. Having made his IPL debut in 2009, Duminy has played 83 matches in the Indian Premier League so far.

Duminy has scored 2029 runs in IPL at an average of almost 40 and a strike rate of 124. However, he wasn’t at his best in the past few IPL campaigns. In 2017 and 2018 combined, Duminy has played 16 games and scored only 227 runs at a strike rate of around 110.

Playing for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2018, Duminy managed only 36 runs from six games at a strike rate of only 90. Also, he has had his fair share of injury troubles in recent times. With the 2019 World Cup in mind, Duminy’s availability for 2019 IPL is still uncertain. Mumbai Indians rightly released him from their squad for the 2019 campaign.

Teams played: Mumbai Indians, Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Daredevils.

#1 Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh in action for Kings XI Punjab

This man needs no introduction. One of the finest limited-overs batsmen to have ever played for India, Yuvraj Singh had a hugely successful international career. However, his IPL numbers are not as good as his international numbers.

Yuvraj Singh has scored 2652 runs at an average of 24.78 in 128 IPL games. His recent record is really bad for a player of his calibre. In his last four IPL seasons, Yuvraj has scored only four fifties in 44 games. He is a shadow of a player who has single-handedly won games for India in the past.

The 36-year-old has lost his match-winning abilities and his performances were really poor. He was rightly released by Kings XI Punjab for the 2019 season. It will be really hard for him to make a comeback at the age of 36.

Teams played: Kings XI Punjab, Pune Warriors India, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Daredevils, Sunrisers Hyderabad.