IPL 2022: Ranking teams based on retentions

Ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction, every franchise has its own strategy. While some teams decided to retain their key players, a few of them felt the need to have a fresh start and thus, released a few of their seasoned campaigners.

Thus, the retention list of several teams managed to shock one and all. While some fans would be happy with the players retained by their favourite teams, a few other fans would be disappointed over the fact that several good players from their teams weren’t retained.

While the teams have to form a new side around their already existing core, the process is going to be difficult. Hence, their retention lists were always going to have a direct impact on their plans for the upcoming mega auction. So which teams have done a good job with respect to retaining their key players? Let’s-

Ranking teams based on IPL 2022 retentions

8) Punjab Kings (3/10)

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) have made it a habit to have a complete overhaul in every auction. It’s like a ritual that they always follow. It isn’t an overstatement to say that their strategy with respect to their retention list was baffling, to say the least.

The Punjab-based side couldn’t retain their skipper KL Rahul because he wanted to go back into the auction. While that is unfortunate, they still had a lot of players who could have been picked. India’s premier pacer Mohammed Shami would have been a good pick, as he not only brings quality but also experience to the table.

Moreover, they had a lot of youngsters on their side as well. Players like Shahrukh Khan and even Sarfraz Ahmed wouldn’t have been too bad. While Mayank Agarwal is a superb player, retaining him for a whopping 14 crore might be questionable.

7) Sunrisers Hyderabad (4/10)

Over the last few months, the Sunrisers Hyderabad have disappointed their fans to an extent that they have now become obnoxious. Their fanbase has significantly reduced, due to their ill-treatment towards their star player David Warner. The Aussie opener was a one-man army of the orange army.

Even if the decision to release Warner is kept aside, they didn’t even retain a single capped Indian player. The likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar or even T Natrajan could have easily been retained. Last but not the least, they didn’t even retain Rashid Khan.

The Afghan all-rounder is one of the best T20 players of this era. Considering his achievements in his career so far, the leggie should be the first player on the retention list. In case of any disagreement between the individual and the team, negotiations could have always been considered as a resort.

6) Kolkata Knight Riders (5.5/10)

The Knights shocked all their fans when they decided not to retain Shubman Gill. He was expected to be the new face of the franchise. As a matter of fact, he was touted as the next KKR captain as well.

The fact that they decided to retain the 30-year-old spinner Varun over several young and talented players, comes as a surprise. If not for the 22-year-old, the Knight Riders could have easily returned one of their batters such as Nitish Rana or Rahul Tripathi.

Nevertheless, their decision to stick to Andre Russell and Sunil Narine was superb. The Windies duo have been loyal servants to the franchise and thus, releasing them would have been heartbreaking. Besides, if they would have been released, getting the duo back in the auction would have been next to impossible.

5) Rajasthan Royals (6.5/10)

In the last few seasons, the Rajasthan Royals have underperformed. They have struggled consistently. One of the major reasons for their poor returns is the fact that their key players aren’t available most of the time due to injuries and commitments with their national sides.

Thus, they decided to retain just one English player, that being Jos Buttler. This means the likes of Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer had to be released. The Royals also decided to back their star player Sanju Samson as well.

Their third retention was the talented opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. Despite having the option to retain another player, they decided against it. Taking his performance in the fourteenth edition of the league into account, Kartik Tyagi made a strong case to be retained, yet wasn’t.

4) Delhi Capitals (7.5/10)

While some fans of the Delhi Capitals (DC) would be happy, others would be dejected. The reactions on their retention list are topsy-turvy, to say the least. While they did retain a few match-winners, they did let go of several champions.

The fact that they have a star-studded side doesn’t help their cause either. However, the decision to release Iyer was surprising. He has been one of the major reasons behind the turnaround of the Delhi-based franchise post-2018.

Under his leadership, Delhi made it to the second Qualifier in 2019 and made it to the final in 2020. While Shikhar Dhawan isn’t getting any younger, he has been scoring runs for fun in the IPL since 2019. Thus, not retaining him is again slightly absurd in nature.

3) Chennai Super Kings (8/10)

The defending champions have always been known to back their core. This time around, they have decided to do the same and thus, have decided to go with their key players who have been performing well of late. However, their retention list was to an extent, debatable.

While the decision to make Jadeja the first retention and Dhoni the second was an absolute masterstroke, retaining Moeen Ali was slightly questionable. The four-time champions decided to let go of Faf, who has been one of their most consistent performers.

The former Proteas skipper was one of the major reasons why they won the title in 2021 in the first place. However, having said that, retaining Gaikwad was again a super decision. The fact that they’ve retained him for just 6 crores is the cherry on the cake.

2) Royal Challengers Bangalore (8.5/10)

Contrary to what their history would suggest, the Royal Challengers Bangalore did a good job in picking their players this time around. Unsurprisingly, their first pick was Virat Kohli.

The fact that the batting maestro is being retained at 15 crores, and not 17 crore like in 2018 comes as a blessing in disguise for the Bangalore-based franchise. Their second pick was the big show Glenn Maxwell, who loves playing the shortest format of the game. Moreover, despite playing just one season with this franchise, he already seems to love the way he’s been backed by the management.

Their third retention was Siraj, which is tactically spot on. The fact that he can bowl in the powerplay overs as well as in the death was one of the major reasons for him not being released. The only complaint which the RCB fans would have is their decision to let go of Chahal and purple cap holder Harshal Patel.

1) Mumbai Indians (9/10)

The Mumbai Indians (MI) undoubtedly retained the best flock of players from their existing side. First things first, they decided to retain their captain and star batter, Rohit Sharma. Their second retention was Jasprit Bumrah.

Both these stalwarts have been an integral part of not only MI but also the Indian team. The skills they offer to the table are nothing short of gold. The in-form batter Suryakumar was their third retention, and he has been one of the best Indian batters in the last few IPL seasons.

With three-star Indian players, the franchise chose the veteran Kieron Pollard as their fourth pick. The limited-overs skipper of the West Indies has been synonymous with the franchise for more than a decade. Besides, he’s only getting better with age.