5 Players who made IPL franchises regret the decision of releasing them

There have been a lot of instances in Indian Premier League (IPL) history where franchises have opted to release non-performing yet highly paid and rated acquisitions deeming them as failures. The hunt for a player who can deliver the goods instantly is the prime factor which drives this decision. In certain cases, the decision has backfired to a great extent and resulted in a lot of regret over the folly. Some players have turned their performance to a different, unexpected level after moving to a new team and have often hurt their previous franchise doing well against them. Let’s take a look at the 5 players whom the IPL franchises will surely regret letting go. 1. Chris Gayle – Kolkata Knight Riders (Photo Source: Twitter) Chris Gayle is arguably the greatest batsman in the T20 format. His exploits in the Indian Premier League while representing the Royal Challengers Bangalore are well known. However, like every other human, even Gayle had a period of inconsistency and failure in his career. He was signed up by the Kolkata Knight Riders for the first season of the Indian Premier League after a spellbinding performance in the inaugural World T20 and his reputation of being a big hitter. Sadly his performances for the Knight Riders in the initial three seasons were not at the level demanded which led to the decision of releasing him for the IPL 4 player auction. RCB opted to sign him up as a replacement for their injured overseas bowler Dirk Nannes and the rest is history. The Knight Riders will surely be ruing at that cursed moment when they took the ill-fated decision. 2. KL Rahul – Sunrisers Hyderabad (Photo Source: Twitter) Royal Challengers Bangalore opted to sign KL Rahul from the Sunrisers Hyderabad in an off-season trade ahead of IPL 9 which was something the Sunrisers were more than happy to comply with after his lackluster performances for the side in the 7th and 8th season. Rahul smashed 397 runs in just 14 matches at a strike rate of 146.49 and contributed significantly to RCB’s cause in IPL 2016. His aggressive and consistent performances for the Royal Challengers will surely haunt the Hyderabad team over the decision they made. 3. Brendon McCullum – Kolkata Knight Riders Brendon McCullum KKR (Photo Source: Google) The 35-year-old Kiwi swashbuckling batsman has set the T20 circuit on fire with his lightning-fast reflexes and immense strength. The batsman is the first choice every franchise looks to swoop because of his ability to get the side off to a quick start and set the stage with his electrifying gameplay. The batsman was released by the Kolkata Knight Riders after his below-par performances for the side in the initial 3 seasons. The batsman seemed largely uncomfortable on the turning tracks that the Eden Gardens presented which might have negatively affected his performances. The Kiwi has delivered exceptional franchises for sides like the Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Lions in the coming years which is evident from his run-scoring statistics. 354, 436 and 405 runs in the 7, 8, 9 seasons having played 14 matches in each season indicates what a grab he can be for any franchise. The Knight Riders will surely regret this decision. 4. Ajinkya Rahane – Mumbai Indians Ajinkya Rahane. (Photo Source: Twitter) Ajinkya Rahane is currently one of the most consistent batsmen in the T20 format. His warrior-like determination and ability to accumulate runs with traditional risk-free stroke play make him a coup for any franchise. The Mumbai Indians learned this lesson the hard way after they released him. Rahane grabbed the opportunity presented by the Rajasthan Royals with both hands and cemented his reputation for being a match-winner with the bat. Rahane was signed up by the Rising Pune Supergiants in the player auction in IPL 2016 for a huge sum after his excellent performances for the Royals in the company of Shane Watson which is something the Mumbai Indians will regret missing out on. He will play for Royals in IPL 2018. 5. Piyush Chawla- Kings XI Punjab (Photo Source: Twitter) Piyush Chawla is one of the few reliable leg-spinners in the T20 format. His ability to scoop wickets at an astoundingly consistent rate and restrict the opposition makes him a captain’s delight. In spite of his capabilities and sizeable contributions to the Punjab franchise, they decided to release him during the auction. The Knight Riders gleefully signed him up and he has fully justified this decision by leading them to two Indian Premier League titles by contributing significantly to their performances. Piyush Chawla slammed the boundary which resulted in the Knight Riders winning the trophy in the 7th season which was perhaps his way of indicating the massive folly they had committed.

Topics

Featured Section

Current Series

IPL 2025 Auction

IPL Teams

Cricket Stats

ICC Rankings

Interviews

Twitter Reactions

Cricket Appeal

Social Tracker

More Links

# Follow Us

Other Sports

5 Players who made IPL franchises regret the decision of releasing them

Let’s take a look at the 5 players whom the IPL franchises will surely regret letting go.

5. Piyush Chawla- Kings XI Punjab

Latest Articles

"Even Virat-Rohit were not spared, Gill should be dropped"

Srikkanth feels CSK got it wrong by not picking Mustafizur

Top 5 steal deals in IPL 2026 Auction