Delhi Daredevils find cost of retaining certain players too much

As per the reports in the Times of India, some of the top names have been released from the Delhi Daredevils camp. The franchise decided to release 6 players from the pool as they found the cost to retain them a little too much. The most notable mention among the players left out is all-rounder Pawan Negi. Interestingly, Negi had shot to fame when he was bagged for a whopping 8.5 crores INR during the last auctions.

The Delhi Daredevils had stunned all with the purchase. However, much to their disappointment, Negi failed to make an impact in the tournament and DD’s lacklustre run continued in the last season. Now, a top source from the Delhi Daredevils has revealed the names of 6 players released by the team.

“Yes, we have decided to release Pawan Negi. Obviously, the performance was a factor. The cost (Rs 8.5 crore per season) was way bit too much,” confirmed a DD official.

Pawan Negi’s ouster was also facilitated by the fact that he did not feature in the starting eleven for Delhi in the recent Ranji Trophy. He was not the preferred all-rounder in the side. When asked why Negi’s auction bid shot up last season, the official cited the demand for an Indian all-rounder.

“One needs to understand that we needed an Indian all-rounder last year. The Indian all-rounders were at premium and that’s why Negi’s price shot up. Also Pune bid for him and that led to a bidding war. It can happen at auctions,” the official remarked.

Along with Pawan Negi, another big name that misses out is Imran Tahir. The South African leggie had managed to pick up wickets but was on the expensive side. Australian pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile is yet another name who misses out on retaining the contract.

Citing reasons for releasing Tahir and Coulter-Nile, the Delhi Daredevils official quoted, “Tahir’s performance last year has not been up to the mark. Also the moment we use him, we exhaust an overseas quota. As far as Coulter-Nile (3 wickets in 4 games) is concerned, he also had fitness issues.”

The other three players who missed out on the contract are Mumbai’s batsman Akhil Herwadkar, India U19 all-rounder Mahipal Lomror and Delhi pacer Pawan Suyal.