IPL 2020: 6 top buys from 2019 released by franchises

The deadline for the Indian Premier League (IPL) transfer window expired on 14 November. All the eight franchises who will be taking part in the 2020 edition of the T20 league have released the complete list of players released and retained, as per the rules.

A total of 127 players have been retained by the franchises, out of which 35 are overseas players. If one looks at the number of players released, Royal Challengers Bangalore have been the most active, releasing 12. Sunrisers Hyderabad on the other hand have released the fewest players - only five.

Kings XI Punjab now have the highest salary cap available, that of Rs 42.70 crore, while Mumbai Indians have the least with 13.05 crore. Further, RCB (12) have the most number of player slots available even as Chennai Super Kings (20) have the largest squad size of players.

Along with the hectic activity, a number of big buys from IPL 2019 were also released. Here’s a look at the top six of them.

#6 Varun Chakravarthy

Varun Chakravarthy

Kings XI Punjab have released Tamil Nadu mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy, who was purchased for a whopping Rs 8.4 crore at the 2019 auction. Although Chakaravarthy had only featured in one first-class match and nine List A games at the time he was picked, he had performed rather well in the Tamil Nadu Premier League, where his variations brought him ample success.

KXIP wanted him to replicate the same for the franchise, but that didn't quite happen. Chakaravarthy played his first game against Kolkata Knight Riders, in which he was completely torn apart - getting smashed for 35 runs in his three overs.

Surprisingly, despite paying such a huge price, KXIP didn’t have the faith to give him another chance, as he was relegated to the dugout for the rest of the season.

Also see - IND vs BAN schedule

#5 Colin Ingram

Colin Ingram

Former South African opening batsman Colin Ingram was picked by Delhi Capitals for an impressive price of Rs 6.4 crore. Unfortunately for Delhi, he couldn’t make much of an impact in IPL 2019, managing only 184 runs in 12 matches at an average of under 20. Not surprisingly, Delhi have released him.

Ingram was bought by Delhi on the back of his pedigree as a T20 cricketer. The South African scored more than 500 runs in the 2016 Natwest T20 Blast. In the same competition in 2017, he hit two centuries for Glamorgan.

Ingram had played for Delhi in 2011 as well, but that season he only managed 21 runs in three matches. His returns were much better in 2019, but not good enough for Delhi to retain him.

#4 Mohit Sharma

Mohit Sharma

Medium pacer Mohit Sharma, who was at one point among the first names on the Chennai Super Kings bowling sheet, has been released by the franchise. Sharma was purchased by CSK for Rs 5 crore, but the franchise played him in only one game, in which he claimed one wicket and conceded 27 runs.

By the end of the season, it seemed CSK had moved on from Sharma.

The pacer’s downturn in fortunes has been rather sharp. He was one of the star performers for India in the 2015 World Cup, when India made the semis. However, injuries and lack of form have hampered his progress.

Speaking of his IPL career, Sharma made his debut in 2013. Under MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings he became a bowling star, winning the Purple Cap in 2014.

He was signed by Kings XI Punjab for Rs 6.5 crore in 2016, but hasn’t had the same impact in recent years. In 2018, he could claim only seven wickets in nine matches.

#3 Sam Curran

Sam Curran

England all-rounder Sam Curran was a thorn in India’s flesh when the Men in Blue last visited the country. He was picked up at the IPL 2019 auction by Kings XI Punjab for Rs 7.2 crore, making him the third most expensive buy of the year.

Curran did not do badly. He scored 95 runs in 9 games at a strike rate of 172.72. With the ball he claimed 10 wickets, including a four-for, but at a very high economy rate of 9.78.

Curran couldn’t quite provide KXIP the stability they were looking for, which is perhaps why he has been released. Considering his obvious potential though, it is likely that Curran might strike another big deal in 2020.

#2 Carlos Brathwaite

Carlos Brathwaite with Chris Gayle

The image of Carlos Brathwaite hitting four sixes off Ben Stokes to win West Indies the World T20 final in 2016 seems like a distant memory.

Three years since, Stokes has become the premier all-rounder in world cricket, heroically lifting England to World Cup glory this year and following it up with an Ashes miracle at Headingley. Brathwaite, in contrast, is yet to find the consistency expected of him.

At the IPL 2019 auction, he was picked up by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 5 crore, on the basis of his past exploits. The Windies all-rounder had a rather average season, with 11 runs and no wickets in two games.

Not surprisingly, KKR decided to release him.

#1 Jaydev Unadkat

Jaydev Unadkat

This was pretty much on expected lines, as Saurashtra’s experienced left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat has become infamous for his under-performance.

Having impressed for Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017 with 24 wickets in 12 matches, Unadkat was picked up by Rajasthan Royals for a massive amount of Rs 11.5 crore in the IPL 2018 auction. However, he struggled under the immense pressure of expectations, finishing with 11 wickets in 15 matches at an economy rate of 9.65.

Royals put him back in the auction ring, only to purchase him again, this time for a slightly smaller but still highly significant amount of Rs 8.4 crore. Unadkat’s fortunes only tumbled for the worse though.

In IPL 2019, he picked up 10 wickets in 11 matches at an atrocious economy rate of 10.66, and an average touching 40. The Royals were left with no option but to release him.