3 released players who might start a bidding war among franchises at auction
Saturday, November 15, was the final day for announcing retentions for the IPL franchises. While most of them retained their star performers, there were some stalwarts who were released.
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1. Andre Russell
Andre Russell is one of the all-time superstars of the cash-rich league. Since 2014, he had been a wonderful servant for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The two-time IPL MVP (Most Valuable Player) was retained by KKR for INR 12 crore ahead of the mega-auction last year. While there were murmurs about Russell being released ahead of the mini-auction, it was hard to believe that a franchise which highly values loyalty would not retain one of their iconic players.
However, the three-time champions dropped a bombshell on November 15, parting ways with the Caribbean all-rounder. Many believe that KKR will re-sign Russell from the auction. However, they might not get him for an amount of less than INR 12 crore. Teams will be looking to acquire Russell's services, as he is still a force to be reckoned with as an explosive batter and a wicket-taking bowler. He is also a crowd puller because of his match-winning abilities, and franchises always have a soft corner for such players.