5 Captains who were released just before Auction in IPL history

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the grandest T20 league in the world. With the youngsters getting exposure to the international arena, the competition goes on to another level. Talking about the senior players who have made a name for themselves, the IPL gave them an opportunity to redeem themselves in the shortest format of the game. Around the world, no league comes near to IPL in terms of competition and excitement. 

It all started during the inaugural game of the IPL. As the Kolkata Knight Riders were up against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Brendon McCullum produced an innings of a lifetime. He smashed 158 against a strong bowling lineup. As the curtains fell on the first IPL season, the underdogs Rajasthan Royals were crowned as the champions.

However, to remain in the competition, one has to adapt to the citations. Unfortunately, some players are unable to live up to the expectations and are released by the franchises. Sometimes, this list of released players also includes the captain of a particular franchise.

5 Captains who were released just before Auction in IPL history

5. Steve Smith ( Rajasthan Royals)

Steve Smith is arguably the best batsman in the world at this moment. With an average of 61.8 in Tests, he has defied all the odds to reach the top. During the initial phases of his career, he was included in the squad as a proper leg-spinner who could bat. But, destiny had other plans! Later on, he became the best test batsman in the world and was awarded the Test cricketer of the decade.

Talking about his IPL stats, he has scored 2333 runs with an average of 35.34 in the lucrative tournament. Although he has an average of 129.25 in the tournament, he is destructive when he times the ball to perfection. With a century to his name, he has proven that the T20 format has some space even for Test specialist players. Over the years, he was a vital member of the Rajasthan Royals. 

But, after the 2020 debacle, the management has decided to release Steve Smith and hand over the captaincy to a young Sanju Samson. In 2020, Smith had scored 311 runs with a healthy strike rate of 131.22. The only reason Rajasthan is looking for another player is that they want a batsman who can play attacking shots from the word go.