IPL 2022: Best Playing XI of the retained players

With the IPL 2022 Mega auction on cards, all the existing eight franchises were given the deadline of November 30 for announcing their retained players. The teams thus had a big task in hand to select the players they want to keep in the setup for the upcoming seasons. And with the retention list of all teams coming out, the purse value of each franchise heading into the mega auction is all clear.

Most of the players that are retained by the teams were pretty obvious picks. IPL being a highly competitive tournament it becomes crucial for the side to keep their key players in the team who have been constantly performing for them. With the retention, the management plans to build a new setup around their core players.

Having said that all of the teams will pretty much experience a vast change in their squads. This time around, the teams are not allowed to use the right-to-match card as well. Thus a lot of hopes will be pinned on the retained players to make a larger impact on the team.

Best Playing XI of the retained players for IPL 2022

1. Rohit Sharma

The batter’s heroics in the white-ball format are known to all. Once he gets in his zone, Sharma can take on the toughest of bowling attacks. This makes him one of the most crucial players of the sides.

Over the course of time, he has been instrumental for Mumbai Indians not only with his willow but his captaincy as well. Under him, the team has been crowned as the champions five times.

He is expected to open the innings for the team and his attacking style of play will thus be important to chip in quick runs in the powerplay. He also has a plethora of experience under his sleeves. He has played 213 IPL games and has chipped in 5611 runs so far.

2. Venkatesh Iyer

Think of one uncapped player who impressed everybody in the IPL 2021 and one cannot miss the name of Venkatesh Iyer. He was one of the key reasons behind the shift in fortunes of KKR in the second leg of the IPL 2021. The Eoin Morgan-led side had an ordinary tournament in the Indian leg of the IPL.

However with the basket of skills, Iyer brought to the fore, KKR witnessed a sudden turnaround. Whilst opening the innings for the team, he provided steady starts owing to which KKR could take command of the game. Not only this, but he also comes in pretty handy with the ball.

Owing to his performances in the league, he received the India call-up and made his debut in the T20I series against New Zealand. From just ten matches, he scored 370 runs at a healthy average of 41.11 in the last edition of the league. The management has thus pinned their hopes on the young talent by retaining him for the upcoming seasons.

3. Virat Kohli 

Last year the batter had announced that he wouldn’t captain the side from the next edition of the IPL. However he had made it clear that he will continue to serve RCB. Undoubtedly, Kohli has been one of the strongest links of the team’s chain.

He has consistently performed for the side every season and it was obvious that the franchise will retain him. In IPL 2021, alongside Devdutt Padikkal, Kohli was crucial in giving good starts to the team. He chipped in 405 runs from 15 matches in the previous season.

Now that he wouldn’t be leading the side, one might get to witness some extraordinary performances from Kohli which he is known for. This time around, AB de Villiers wouldn’t be in the setup as the Proteas batter announced retirement from all cricket recently. In this case, Kohli would be all determined to make a difference for the team and hold the fort of the side.

4. Kane Williamson

With the dismaying outing in IPL 2021, SRH’s management would be putting their thinking hats on to make some tough calls. The franchise retained Williamson, Abdul Samad, and Umran Malik for the next editions. In such a scenario, the New Zealand skipper will have a greater role to play.

Williamson adds a flavor of calmness and ease to the proceedings. Along with leading the team, he will also have the responsibility to lead the batting unit. With a dip in form of David Warner, he took up the captaincy duties last year. However, by then there was nothing much he could do as the team was already struggling.

However, with a fresh season on cards, the franchise will hope that Williamson will lead from the front and take the team forward. In the previous season, he smashed 266 runs from ten matches at a healthy average of 44.33.

5. Glenn Maxwell

RCB had a good run in the last season of the IPL and Maxwell had a big role to play in it. One of the areas where RCB had struggled in the past seasons was their middle-order batting. But the Australian all-rounder’s presence ticked this massive box for the team.

Maxwell’s record in IPL wasn’t too pleasing over the years. However in RCB this year, one got to witness an altogether different player. He brought his attacking game to the fore and at times also anchored the innings for the side.

He finished as the highest run-getter for the team in IPL 2021. The swashbuckling batter gathered 513 runs from 15 matches at an average of 42.75. Heading into the next season, he is considered as one of the strongest contenders to lead the team.

6. MS Dhoni (c, wk) 

Ever since Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket, there have been continuous talks about his IPL career. However, when it was confirmed that the keeper-batter will be retained for the next seasons, the CSK fans were all frenzy.

There might be discussions that the former India skipper isn’t at his absolute best with the bat. But when it comes to leading the side, he is got one of the sharpest brains in the cricketing world. With his street smart captaincy, he has taken the team to victory from crunch situations. Whereas behind the stumps he still makes the job look easier than it is.

Dhoni’s role in the side now will be to build a strong core for the future while he is still around. In Qualifier 1 of the IPL 2021, he played a quickfire knock to book the team’s seat for the summit clash. That quite tempted all to think that there is still a lot of cricket left in him. Well, it is for all of us to see.

7. Andre Russell

The Kolkata Knight Riders retained four players in their setup. The management backed the West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell as he was announced as the first retention of the side. He hasn’t appeared at his absolute best lately, but he is one of the most lethal players when it comes to T20 cricket.

He possesses the ability to send the ball out of the park and can also take up the mantle to anchor the innings for the team. In the IPL, he has often fanned the fires of his hard-hitting abilities and that might be the prime reason that the side has trusted him to make an impact on the team. They will hope that his massive hitting and splendid cameos will help the team to succeed.

His presence in the team provides the setup with a perfect all-rounder option. From 84 IPL matches so far, he has scored 1700 runs and also scalped 72 wickets.

8. Sunil Narine

Another player from West Indies who has blown the trumpet of his repertoire in the tournament over the years is Sunil Narine. It was a no-brainer that KKR would retain him. He comes in pretty handy with both the bat and the ball and has made valuable contributions to the team.

He was exceptional for the side last season, wherein he scalped 16 wickets from 14 matches. By chiming in with crucial breakthroughs, he put the team at the driver’s seat on many occasions. He also played quick cameos to help the side chip in crucial runs.

With the excellent all-rounder package he provides, Narine can add more value to any team. The team will want him to continue his good form in the upcoming season of the league as well.

9. Axar Patel

The left-arm spinner is undoubtedly one of the most pivotal cogs of Delhi Capital’s wheel. By exuding his sheer flair, he has fetched in a lot of appreciation from the cricketing fraternity and has cemented his place in the team. In the last IPL, he finished as the second-highest wicket-taker of the team.

Patel clinched 15 wickets from 12 matches at a healthy economy rate. He was quite impressive in the recently concluded T20I series against New Zealand as well. However, he carried his rich vein of form in the Kanpur Test, wherein he stood out with the ball for the team.

Axar Patel has been instrumental in providing the team with much-needed breakthroughs. He also has a considerable amount of experience playing in the high-profile tournament and it was unlikely that the DC management would ignore him.

10. Anrich Nortje

Delhi Capitals retained the South African pacer who was exceptional for the side in the second half of the IPL last year. He picked up 12 wickets from eight matches at an economy rate of 6.16. The speedster bowled the eight fastest balls of the season then wherein he clocked 150 km/h on four instances.

His speed and consistency troubled the batters which reaped him rewards. Nortje will be instrumental in providing the team with early breakthroughs and is expected to lead the fast bowling unit of the side.

Delhi Capitals have been walking the path of success and are progressing every season. In 2019, the team reached the playoffs whereas they played the finals in IPL 2020. In this year’s IPL as well they had a splendid run and to continue their domination in the tournament DC will hope Nortje plays an important role.

11. Jasprit Bumrah

It goes without saying that Jasprit Bumrah has been one of the key players for Mumbai Indians for a long now. It was pretty obvious that the pacer will be retained by the franchise. By displaying his flair in the domestic circuit and then dominating the proceedings in the IPL, Bumrah has cemented his place in the Indian side across formats.

He has led the fast bowling unit of India and Mumbai Indians for quite a period now.  The speedster’s bowling style stands out as it is regarded as unique and unorthodox. Though he doesn’t have a long run-up, he is able to generate the necessary pace and disturb the best of batters.

Whenever the team is in desperate need of wickets, the captain has turned to Bumrah. In the last season of the IPL, he picked up 21 wickets from 14 matches. He has had an impressive run in the league and will be all raring to continue his heroics with the ball for the Mumbai Indians.