The preparations for the 16th edition of the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Premier League</a> are in full swing. Ahead of the IPL 2023 auction scheduled on December 23 in Kochi, franchises have released the players who do not fit into their scheme of things going forward. All the teams submitted their list of released and retained players on November 15.

Franchises such as Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals have stuck with their core group while teams such as Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders have freed up a lot of slots in a bid to revamp their unit. Here we look at all ten franchises and rate them based on their retentions and releases.

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/mi-mumbai-indians/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mumbai Indians</a> have retained a solid Indian batting core along with the swashbuckling overseas trio of Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, and Tim David. Thus, Mumbai’s batting line-up looks quite intimidating. However, the five-time IPL champions have released a total of 13 players including Kieron Pollard, who has hung his boots in the IPL arena.&nbsp;

MI seems to have backed raw talent over experience. And this is evident from their ploy to persist with young spinners Kumar Kartikeya and Hrithik Shokeen, and let go of Mayank Markande and Murugan Ashwin. Moreover, on the seam-bowling front, MI has kept the likes of Arshad Khan and Arjun Tendulkar in the team and parted ways with Jaydev Unadkat.&nbsp;

With a fairly inexperienced bowling attack, Mumbai might struggle to find an Indian bowler to partner with Jasprit Bumrah. However, the think tank has done well to trade ace left-arm pacer Jason Behrendorff from Royal Challengers Bangalore to bolster their pace cartel.

With Pollard retired and Daniel Sams released, Mumbai does not have many all-round options in their mix. Thus, they would need to go shopping for a high-quality all-rounder such as Cameron Green, Sam Curran, and Jason Holder. However, MI has INR 20.45 CR in their bag which might not prove to be enough to cover all bases.

9. Sunrisers Hyderabad&nbsp; - 6.5/10

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/srh-sunrisers-hyderabad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunrisers Hyderabad</a> have released a total of 12 players ahead of the upcoming auction. This includes the shocking ouster of their skipper Kane Williamson, who was their number one retention last season. Thus, the franchise will go shopping for a captain at the forthcoming auction.

Expectedly, SRH have let go of Nicholas Pooran and Romario Shepherd as the duo failed to justify their price tag. On the other hand, the Hyderabad franchise have retained their fast-bowling group which fared well last season. The team management has made a wise choice of sticking with Glenn Phillips, who has been in a form of his life.

Courtesy of the big releases, the Hyderabad franchise have a staggering sum of INR 42.25 CR under their belt and can rope in some big guns at the auction. However, they will need to be mindful of the fact that they have many holes to fill and the big purse could be a double-edged sword if not used wisely. Apart from Rahul Tripathi and Abhishek Sharma, there is no solid Indian batter in the Hyderabad camp. Further, SRH lack spin options that can partner Washington Sundar. Moreover, the squad presently does not have top-drawer all-rounders in their ranks.

Kolkata Knight Riders have released a total of 16 players from their squad. This list includes the trio of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/pat-cummins-turns-down-million-dollar-offer-by-indian-leagues-for-australia-duty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pat Cummins</a>, Sam Billings, and Alex Hales, who have opted out of the next edition of the tournament. KKR have let go of the non-performing stars of the previous edition - Aaron Finch, Ajinkya Rahane, and Shivam Mavi.

Shreyas Iyer &amp; co. have made some smart signings in the trading window. They have roped in Lockie Ferguson and Rahmanullah Gurbaz from Gujarat Titans, and Shardul Thakur from Delhi Capitals. However, these trades have cost KKR over INR 21 CR and it has reduced their purse to INR 7.05 CR.

Kolkata have a total of 14 players at their disposal and have a well-rounded first XI assembled already. However, with a thin purse, the two-time IPL champions will have a hard time filling the remaining 11 slots with good reinforcements. Therefore, one can witness KKR struggle with good backup options going forward.

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/rr-rajasthan-royals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rajasthan Royals</a> have stuck to the core which helped the franchise reach the finals at the 15th edition of the lucrative tournament. Be it with bat or ball, Sanju Samson &amp; co. have many match-winners in their arsenal. They have done a fine job to part ways with Karun Nair and Rassie van der Dussen as the duo would not have found a place in a jam-packed batting line-up.

Moreover, the release of Nathan Coulter-Nile was on expected lines as the Australian all-rounder is known to be injury-prone. But the exit of Daryl Mitchell and James Neesham was a bit of a surprise as it has further decreased the multifaceted cricketers at their disposal. Both the T20 stars were picked at their base prices and RR could have stuck with them.&nbsp;

Thus, with not many all-round options in the team, Rajasthan will need to go fishing for a few of them at the upcoming auction. However, the total amount left with RR is INR 13.2 CR which might not prove to be enough to draft high-quality all-rounders like Green, Curran, and Ben Stokes.

Gujarat Titans have persisted with the majority of the players who helped the franchise achieve glory in the 2022 season. Gujarat have backed Vijay Shankar and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/t20-world-cup-2022-matthew-wade-tests-positive-for-covid-expected-to-play-against-england/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matthew Wade</a> for the next season, despite their awful showings in the previous edition. However, GT have released Varun Aaron who did not have a great outing in the 15th IPL edition. Also, the ouster of Jason Roy, Dominic Drakes, and Gurkeerat Singh was on the cards.&nbsp;

However, Gujarat’s move to trade Ferguson and Gurbaz was not anticipated. The Kiwi pacer added another dimension to the bowling with his fiery pace and also bagged 12 wickets in 13 games for GT. Coming to Afghanistan’s ace wicketkeeper, his batting stocks have been on a rise in the shortest format and could have been a great addition to the side. Thus, the move to part ways with the duo could backfire going forward.

GT have INR 19.25 CR left in the bank which could be sufficient to fill up a few of the holes in the squad. They could look to buy a batting all-rounder to add depth to the side. Also, with Ferguson’s exit, a gun overseas pacer could be on Gujarat’s wishlist for the forthcoming auction.

Lucknow Super Giants had a great campaign at the 15th edition of the lucrative T20 tournament which saw them qualify for the playoffs. Thus, they have kept most of their players intact. KL Rahul &amp; co. released the duo of Manish Pandey and Evin Lewis, both of whom had a poor outing with the bat in IPL 2022. Also, with LSG having Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, and Ravi Bishnoi in their ranks, the release of Ankit Rajpoot and Shahbaz Nadeem was on the cards.

The most surprising ouster from the Lucknow camp has been of Jason Holder. Despite the ace all-rounder doing a decent job taking 14 wickets in 12 games and scoring 58 runs at a strike rate of 131.82, he was removed from the side. With Holder’s exit, LSG will try to rope either Stokes, Cameron Green, or Curran at the upcoming auction.

The departure of Andrew Tye was quite anticipated with Mark Wood likely to feature in IPL 2023. Also, LSG decided to part ways with Dushmantha Chameera, which could have been due to the pacer’s regular injury concerns. So, the think tank will look to fill up the Sri Lankan seamer’s void at IPL 2023 auction.

The biggest news from the Punjab Kings camp has been the release of their former skipper <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2022-mayank-agarwal-appointed-as-punjab-kings-captain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mayank Agarwal</a>. Though the 31-year-old failed with the bat last season scoring 196 runs in 13 games, he has been a prolific run-getter in the history of IPL. Only time will tell if the team management’s bold decision to part ways with Mayank bears fruit in the longer run. On the other hand, Punjab have backed Shahrukh Khan despite his poor 2022 season.

PBKS have quite expectedly moved past Odean Smith and Benny Howell and freed up some overseas slots. However, the think tank’s decision to release Sandeep Sharma, Ishan Porel, and Vaibhav Arora has meant that Shikhar Dhawan &amp; co. does not have many reserves in the seam-bowling department.

Courtesy of some big releases, PBKS have INR 32.2 CR available with them. Thus, they could go all guns blazing for either Curran, Green, or Stokes to fill the all-rounder void in the team. With no Mayank in the team, Punjab will also be needing a solid Indian batter in the mix.

3. Royal Challengers Bangalore - 8.5/10

In IPL 2022, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/rcb-royal-challengers-bangalore/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Royal Challengers Bangalore</a> showed a lot of consistency in their team selection and reaped dividends for the same, reaching the second qualifier. This time around, the Bangalore franchise have displayed stability in their retentions and backed the majority of the players to come good for the forthcoming edition of the tournament.

RCB have let go of a total of five players, which includes Sherfane Rutherford, who was quite mediocre with the bat in the previous edition, scoring mere 33 runs in three matches. Another significant release has been that of Behrendorff, who has been traded to Mumbai Indians.

&nbsp;In their current crop of players, Bangalore does not have many death-bowling options. Also, with Harshal Patel’s dwindling returns in the international circuit, Faf du Plessis &amp; co. would want to draft a quality seamer, who can be lethal at the slog overs. RCB have presently INR 8.75 CR remaining in their purse, which might not be enough to rope a few top-class reinforcements.

Chennai Super Kings are not known to do wholesale changes and this time too, the four-time champions have stuck with the majority of their players. However, they dropped a bombshell by parting ways with <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/dwayne-bravo-to-retire-from-international-cricket-after-2021-t20-world-cup/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dwayne Bravo</a>, who has been instrumental to the success of the team in the past. However, this ploy is a well-thought one with the future in sight as the veteran all-rounder is in the twilight of his career.

CSK has also moved past Chris Jordan, who was pretty mediocre with his showings in the last season leaking at an economy of 10.52 in four matches. Also, the team management have rightly let go of Adam Milne who is known to be plagued by injuries more often than not.&nbsp;

With Robin Uthappa, retiring from all forms of Indian cricket, the team management will need to fill his void in the batting line-up. Also, CSK does not have a gun death bowler at their disposal barring Dwaine Pretorius. Thus, the think tank could look to add a high-quality overseas seamer at the IPL 2023 auction.

Delhi Capitals parted ways with only five players and kept the balance of the side intact. Their biggest release of the lot was Shardul. The Indian all-rounder cost the franchise a whooping INR 10.75 CR at the 2022 mega auction and DC traded him to KKR for Aman Khan. This was a clever move from Delhi’s end as Rishabh Pant &amp; co. already have some quality Indian seamers such as Chetan Sakariya, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/it-always-feels-great-to-perform-well-for-the-team-khaleel-ahmed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Khaleel Ahmed</a>, and Kamlesh Nagarkoti in their ranks.

DC have also released the likes of Tim Seifert, Mandeep Singh, and KS Bharat. This move was on expected lines as the trio failed to impress with their performances in the 15th edition of the lucrative T20 tournament. Also, the exit of Ashwin Hebbar was not a surprise as Delhi has talented batters like Yash Dhull and Sarfaraz Khan at their disposal.

The Delhi franchise are quite thin on top-class seam-bowling all-rounders. They do have Mitchell Marsh but the Australian cricketer’s injury concerns bar him from bowling regularly. Thus, DC shall go fishing for multifaceted players at the upcoming auction and they have a healthy purse of INR 19.45 CR which could help them achieve the same.

The preparations for the 16th edition of the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Premier League</a> are in full swing. Ahead of the IPL 2023 auction scheduled on December 23 in Kochi, franchises have released the players who do not fit into their scheme of things going forward. All the teams submitted their list of released and retained players on November 15.
Franchises such as Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals have stuck with their core group while teams such as Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders have freed up a lot of slots in a bid to revamp their unit. Here we look at all ten franchises and rate them based on their retentions and releases.
<h3>10. Mumbai Indians - 6/10</h3>
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<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/mi-mumbai-indians/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mumbai Indians</a> have retained a solid Indian batting core along with the swashbuckling overseas trio of Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, and Tim David. Thus, Mumbai’s batting line-up looks quite intimidating. However, the five-time IPL champions have released a total of 13 players including Kieron Pollard, who has hung his boots in the IPL arena.&nbsp;
MI seems to have backed raw talent over experience. And this is evident from their ploy to persist with young spinners Kumar Kartikeya and Hrithik Shokeen, and let go of Mayank Markande and Murugan Ashwin. Moreover, on the seam-bowling front, MI has kept the likes of Arshad Khan and Arjun Tendulkar in the team and parted ways with Jaydev Unadkat.&nbsp;
With a fairly inexperienced bowling attack, Mumbai might struggle to find an Indian bowler to partner with Jasprit Bumrah. However, the think tank has done well to trade ace left-arm pacer Jason Behrendorff from Royal Challengers Bangalore to bolster their pace cartel.
With Pollard retired and Daniel Sams released, Mumbai does not have many all-round options in their mix. Thus, they would need to go shopping for a high-quality all-rounder such as Cameron Green, Sam Curran, and Jason Holder. However, MI has INR 20.45 CR in their bag which might not prove to be enough to cover all bases.

<h3>9. Sunrisers Hyderabad&nbsp; - 6.5/10</h3>
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<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/srh-sunrisers-hyderabad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunrisers Hyderabad</a> have released a total of 12 players ahead of the upcoming auction. This includes the shocking ouster of their skipper Kane Williamson, who was their number one retention last season. Thus, the franchise will go shopping for a captain at the forthcoming auction.
Expectedly, SRH have let go of Nicholas Pooran and Romario Shepherd as the duo failed to justify their price tag. On the other hand, the Hyderabad franchise have retained their fast-bowling group which fared well last season. The team management has made a wise choice of sticking with Glenn Phillips, who has been in a form of his life.
Courtesy of the big releases, the Hyderabad franchise have a staggering sum of INR 42.25 CR under their belt and can rope in some big guns at the auction. However, they will need to be mindful of the fact that they have many holes to fill and the big purse could be a double-edged sword if not used wisely. Apart from Rahul Tripathi and Abhishek Sharma, there is no solid Indian batter in the Hyderabad camp. Further, SRH lack spin options that can partner Washington Sundar. Moreover, the squad presently does not have top-drawer all-rounders in their ranks.

<h3>8. Kolkata Knight Riders - 7/10</h3>
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Kolkata Knight Riders have released a total of 16 players from their squad. This list includes the trio of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/pat-cummins-turns-down-million-dollar-offer-by-indian-leagues-for-australia-duty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pat Cummins</a>, Sam Billings, and Alex Hales, who have opted out of the next edition of the tournament. KKR have let go of the non-performing stars of the previous edition - Aaron Finch, Ajinkya Rahane, and Shivam Mavi.
Shreyas Iyer &amp; co. have made some smart signings in the trading window. They have roped in Lockie Ferguson and Rahmanullah Gurbaz from Gujarat Titans, and Shardul Thakur from Delhi Capitals. However, these trades have cost KKR over INR 21 CR and it has reduced their purse to INR 7.05 CR.
Kolkata have a total of 14 players at their disposal and have a well-rounded first XI assembled already. However, with a thin purse, the two-time IPL champions will have a hard time filling the remaining 11 slots with good reinforcements. Therefore, one can witness KKR struggle with good backup options going forward.

<h3>7. Rajasthan Royals - 7/10</h3>
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<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/rr-rajasthan-royals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rajasthan Royals</a> have stuck to the core which helped the franchise reach the finals at the 15th edition of the lucrative tournament. Be it with bat or ball, Sanju Samson &amp; co. have many match-winners in their arsenal. They have done a fine job to part ways with Karun Nair and Rassie van der Dussen as the duo would not have found a place in a jam-packed batting line-up.
Moreover, the release of Nathan Coulter-Nile was on expected lines as the Australian all-rounder is known to be injury-prone. But the exit of Daryl Mitchell and James Neesham was a bit of a surprise as it has further decreased the multifaceted cricketers at their disposal. Both the T20 stars were picked at their base prices and RR could have stuck with them.&nbsp;
Thus, with not many all-round options in the team, Rajasthan will need to go fishing for a few of them at the upcoming auction. However, the total amount left with RR is INR 13.2 CR which might not prove to be enough to draft high-quality all-rounders like Green, Curran, and Ben Stokes.

<h3>6. Gujarat Titans - 7.5/10</h3>
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Gujarat Titans have persisted with the majority of the players who helped the franchise achieve glory in the 2022 season. Gujarat have backed Vijay Shankar and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/t20-world-cup-2022-matthew-wade-tests-positive-for-covid-expected-to-play-against-england/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matthew Wade</a> for the next season, despite their awful showings in the previous edition. However, GT have released Varun Aaron who did not have a great outing in the 15th IPL edition. Also, the ouster of Jason Roy, Dominic Drakes, and Gurkeerat Singh was on the cards.&nbsp;
However, Gujarat’s move to trade Ferguson and Gurbaz was not anticipated. The Kiwi pacer added another dimension to the bowling with his fiery pace and also bagged 12 wickets in 13 games for GT. Coming to Afghanistan’s ace wicketkeeper, his batting stocks have been on a rise in the shortest format and could have been a great addition to the side. Thus, the move to part ways with the duo could backfire going forward.
GT have INR 19.25 CR left in the bank which could be sufficient to fill up a few of the holes in the squad. They could look to buy a batting all-rounder to add depth to the side. Also, with Ferguson’s exit, a gun overseas pacer could be on Gujarat’s wishlist for the forthcoming auction.

<h3>5. Lucknow Super Giants - 8/10</h3>
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Lucknow Super Giants had a great campaign at the 15th edition of the lucrative T20 tournament which saw them qualify for the playoffs. Thus, they have kept most of their players intact. KL Rahul &amp; co. released the duo of Manish Pandey and Evin Lewis, both of whom had a poor outing with the bat in IPL 2022. Also, with LSG having Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, and Ravi Bishnoi in their ranks, the release of Ankit Rajpoot and Shahbaz Nadeem was on the cards.
The most surprising ouster from the Lucknow camp has been of Jason Holder. Despite the ace all-rounder doing a decent job taking 14 wickets in 12 games and scoring 58 runs at a strike rate of 131.82, he was removed from the side. With Holder’s exit, LSG will try to rope either Stokes, Cameron Green, or Curran at the upcoming auction.
The departure of Andrew Tye was quite anticipated with Mark Wood likely to feature in IPL 2023. Also, LSG decided to part ways with Dushmantha Chameera, which could have been due to the pacer’s regular injury concerns. So, the think tank will look to fill up the Sri Lankan seamer’s void at IPL 2023 auction.

<h3>4. Punjab Kings&nbsp; - 8/10</h3>
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The biggest news from the Punjab Kings camp has been the release of their former skipper <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2022-mayank-agarwal-appointed-as-punjab-kings-captain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mayank Agarwal</a>. Though the 31-year-old failed with the bat last season scoring 196 runs in 13 games, he has been a prolific run-getter in the history of IPL. Only time will tell if the team management’s bold decision to part ways with Mayank bears fruit in the longer run. On the other hand, Punjab have backed Shahrukh Khan despite his poor 2022 season.
PBKS have quite expectedly moved past Odean Smith and Benny Howell and freed up some overseas slots. However, the think tank’s decision to release Sandeep Sharma, Ishan Porel, and Vaibhav Arora has meant that Shikhar Dhawan &amp; co. does not have many reserves in the seam-bowling department.
Courtesy of some big releases, PBKS have INR 32.2 CR available with them. Thus, they could go all guns blazing for either Curran, Green, or Stokes to fill the all-rounder void in the team. With no Mayank in the team, Punjab will also be needing a solid Indian batter in the mix.

<h3>3. Royal Challengers Bangalore - 8.5/10</h3>
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In IPL 2022, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/rcb-royal-challengers-bangalore/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Royal Challengers Bangalore</a> showed a lot of consistency in their team selection and reaped dividends for the same, reaching the second qualifier. This time around, the Bangalore franchise have displayed stability in their retentions and backed the majority of the players to come good for the forthcoming edition of the tournament.
RCB have let go of a total of five players, which includes Sherfane Rutherford, who was quite mediocre with the bat in the previous edition, scoring mere 33 runs in three matches. Another significant release has been that of Behrendorff, who has been traded to Mumbai Indians.
&nbsp;In their current crop of players, Bangalore does not have many death-bowling options. Also, with Harshal Patel’s dwindling returns in the international circuit, Faf du Plessis &amp; co. would want to draft a quality seamer, who can be lethal at the slog overs. RCB have presently INR 8.75 CR remaining in their purse, which might not be enough to rope a few top-class reinforcements.

<h3>2. Chennai Super Kings - 8.5/10</h3>
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Chennai Super Kings are not known to do wholesale changes and this time too, the four-time champions have stuck with the majority of their players. However, they dropped a bombshell by parting ways with <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/dwayne-bravo-to-retire-from-international-cricket-after-2021-t20-world-cup/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dwayne Bravo</a>, who has been instrumental to the success of the team in the past. However, this ploy is a well-thought one with the future in sight as the veteran all-rounder is in the twilight of his career.
CSK has also moved past Chris Jordan, who was pretty mediocre with his showings in the last season leaking at an economy of 10.52 in four matches. Also, the team management have rightly let go of Adam Milne who is known to be plagued by injuries more often than not.&nbsp;
With Robin Uthappa, retiring from all forms of Indian cricket, the team management will need to fill his void in the batting line-up. Also, CSK does not have a gun death bowler at their disposal barring Dwaine Pretorius. Thus, the think tank could look to add a high-quality overseas seamer at the IPL 2023 auction.

<h3>1. Delhi Capitals - 9/10</h3>
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Delhi Capitals parted ways with only five players and kept the balance of the side intact. Their biggest release of the lot was Shardul. The Indian all-rounder cost the franchise a whooping INR 10.75 CR at the 2022 mega auction and DC traded him to KKR for Aman Khan. This was a clever move from Delhi’s end as Rishabh Pant &amp; co. already have some quality Indian seamers such as Chetan Sakariya, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/it-always-feels-great-to-perform-well-for-the-team-khaleel-ahmed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Khaleel Ahmed</a>, and Kamlesh Nagarkoti in their ranks.
DC have also released the likes of Tim Seifert, Mandeep Singh, and KS Bharat. This move was on expected lines as the trio failed to impress with their performances in the 15th edition of the lucrative T20 tournament. Also, the exit of Ashwin Hebbar was not a surprise as Delhi has talented batters like Yash Dhull and Sarfaraz Khan at their disposal.
The Delhi franchise are quite thin on top-class seam-bowling all-rounders. They do have Mitchell Marsh but the Australian cricketer’s injury concerns bar him from bowling regularly. Thus, DC shall go fishing for multifaceted players at the upcoming auction and they have a healthy purse of INR 19.45 CR which could help them achieve the same.

The preparations for the 16th edition of the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Premier League</a> are in full swing. Ahead of the IPL 2023 auction scheduled on December 23 in Kochi, franchises have released the players who do not fit into their scheme of things going forward. All the teams submitted their list of released and retained players on November 15.
Franchises such as Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals have stuck with their core group while teams such as Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders have freed up a lot of slots in a bid to revamp their unit. Here we look at all ten franchises and rate them based on their retentions and releases.
<h3>10. Mumbai Indians - 6/10</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/featureimage/Mumbai-Indians2-2.jpg" width="640" height="400" alt="">
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/mi-mumbai-indians/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mumbai Indians</a> have retained a solid Indian batting core along with the swashbuckling overseas trio of Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, and Tim David. Thus, Mumbai’s batting line-up looks quite intimidating. However, the five-time IPL champions have released a total of 13 players including Kieron Pollard, who has hung his boots in the IPL arena.&nbsp;
MI seems to have backed raw talent over experience. And this is evident from their ploy to persist with young spinners Kumar Kartikeya and Hrithik Shokeen, and let go of Mayank Markande and Murugan Ashwin. Moreover, on the seam-bowling front, MI has kept the likes of Arshad Khan and Arjun Tendulkar in the team and parted ways with Jaydev Unadkat.&nbsp;
With a fairly inexperienced bowling attack, Mumbai might struggle to find an Indian bowler to partner with Jasprit Bumrah. However, the think tank has done well to trade ace left-arm pacer Jason Behrendorff from Royal Challengers Bangalore to bolster their pace cartel.
With Pollard retired and Daniel Sams released, Mumbai does not have many all-round options in their mix. Thus, they would need to go shopping for a high-quality all-rounder such as Cameron Green, Sam Curran, and Jason Holder. However, MI has INR 20.45 CR in their bag which might not prove to be enough to cover all bases.

<h3>9. Sunrisers Hyderabad&nbsp; - 6.5/10</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/featureimage/Sunrisers-Hyderabad2.jpg" width="640" height="400" alt="">
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/srh-sunrisers-hyderabad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunrisers Hyderabad</a> have released a total of 12 players ahead of the upcoming auction. This includes the shocking ouster of their skipper Kane Williamson, who was their number one retention last season. Thus, the franchise will go shopping for a captain at the forthcoming auction.
Expectedly, SRH have let go of Nicholas Pooran and Romario Shepherd as the duo failed to justify their price tag. On the other hand, the Hyderabad franchise have retained their fast-bowling group which fared well last season. The team management has made a wise choice of sticking with Glenn Phillips, who has been in a form of his life.
Courtesy of the big releases, the Hyderabad franchise have a staggering sum of INR 42.25 CR under their belt and can rope in some big guns at the auction. However, they will need to be mindful of the fact that they have many holes to fill and the big purse could be a double-edged sword if not used wisely. Apart from Rahul Tripathi and Abhishek Sharma, there is no solid Indian batter in the Hyderabad camp. Further, SRH lack spin options that can partner Washington Sundar. Moreover, the squad presently does not have top-drawer all-rounders in their ranks.

<h3>8. Kolkata Knight Riders - 7/10</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/featureimage/Kolkata-Knight-Riders2.jpg" width="640" height="400" alt="">
Kolkata Knight Riders have released a total of 16 players from their squad. This list includes the trio of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/pat-cummins-turns-down-million-dollar-offer-by-indian-leagues-for-australia-duty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pat Cummins</a>, Sam Billings, and Alex Hales, who have opted out of the next edition of the tournament. KKR have let go of the non-performing stars of the previous edition - Aaron Finch, Ajinkya Rahane, and Shivam Mavi.
Shreyas Iyer &amp; co. have made some smart signings in the trading window. They have roped in Lockie Ferguson and Rahmanullah Gurbaz from Gujarat Titans, and Shardul Thakur from Delhi Capitals. However, these trades have cost KKR over INR 21 CR and it has reduced their purse to INR 7.05 CR.
Kolkata have a total of 14 players at their disposal and have a well-rounded first XI assembled already. However, with a thin purse, the two-time IPL champions will have a hard time filling the remaining 11 slots with good reinforcements. Therefore, one can witness KKR struggle with good backup options going forward.

<h3>7. Rajasthan Royals - 7/10</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/featureimage/Rajasthan-Royals2-2.jpg" width="640" height="400" alt="">
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/rr-rajasthan-royals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rajasthan Royals</a> have stuck to the core which helped the franchise reach the finals at the 15th edition of the lucrative tournament. Be it with bat or ball, Sanju Samson &amp; co. have many match-winners in their arsenal. They have done a fine job to part ways with Karun Nair and Rassie van der Dussen as the duo would not have found a place in a jam-packed batting line-up.
Moreover, the release of Nathan Coulter-Nile was on expected lines as the Australian all-rounder is known to be injury-prone. But the exit of Daryl Mitchell and James Neesham was a bit of a surprise as it has further decreased the multifaceted cricketers at their disposal. Both the T20 stars were picked at their base prices and RR could have stuck with them.&nbsp;
Thus, with not many all-round options in the team, Rajasthan will need to go fishing for a few of them at the upcoming auction. However, the total amount left with RR is INR 13.2 CR which might not prove to be enough to draft high-quality all-rounders like Green, Curran, and Ben Stokes.

<h3>6. Gujarat Titans - 7.5/10</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/featureimage/Gujarat-Titans-6.jpg" width="640" height="400" alt="">
Gujarat Titans have persisted with the majority of the players who helped the franchise achieve glory in the 2022 season. Gujarat have backed Vijay Shankar and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/t20-world-cup-2022-matthew-wade-tests-positive-for-covid-expected-to-play-against-england/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matthew Wade</a> for the next season, despite their awful showings in the previous edition. However, GT have released Varun Aaron who did not have a great outing in the 15th IPL edition. Also, the ouster of Jason Roy, Dominic Drakes, and Gurkeerat Singh was on the cards.&nbsp;
However, Gujarat’s move to trade Ferguson and Gurbaz was not anticipated. The Kiwi pacer added another dimension to the bowling with his fiery pace and also bagged 12 wickets in 13 games for GT. Coming to Afghanistan’s ace wicketkeeper, his batting stocks have been on a rise in the shortest format and could have been a great addition to the side. Thus, the move to part ways with the duo could backfire going forward.
GT have INR 19.25 CR left in the bank which could be sufficient to fill up a few of the holes in the squad. They could look to buy a batting all-rounder to add depth to the side. Also, with Ferguson’s exit, a gun overseas pacer could be on Gujarat’s wishlist for the forthcoming auction.

<h3>5. Lucknow Super Giants - 8/10</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/featureimage/Lucknow-Super-Giants-3.jpg" width="640" height="400" alt="">
Lucknow Super Giants had a great campaign at the 15th edition of the lucrative T20 tournament which saw them qualify for the playoffs. Thus, they have kept most of their players intact. KL Rahul &amp; co. released the duo of Manish Pandey and Evin Lewis, both of whom had a poor outing with the bat in IPL 2022. Also, with LSG having Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, and Ravi Bishnoi in their ranks, the release of Ankit Rajpoot and Shahbaz Nadeem was on the cards.
The most surprising ouster from the Lucknow camp has been of Jason Holder. Despite the ace all-rounder doing a decent job taking 14 wickets in 12 games and scoring 58 runs at a strike rate of 131.82, he was removed from the side. With Holder’s exit, LSG will try to rope either Stokes, Cameron Green, or Curran at the upcoming auction.
The departure of Andrew Tye was quite anticipated with Mark Wood likely to feature in IPL 2023. Also, LSG decided to part ways with Dushmantha Chameera, which could have been due to the pacer’s regular injury concerns. So, the think tank will look to fill up the Sri Lankan seamer’s void at IPL 2023 auction.

<h3>4. Punjab Kings&nbsp; - 8/10</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/featureimage/Punjab-Kings2-1.jpg" width="640" height="400" alt="">
The biggest news from the Punjab Kings camp has been the release of their former skipper <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2022-mayank-agarwal-appointed-as-punjab-kings-captain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mayank Agarwal</a>. Though the 31-year-old failed with the bat last season scoring 196 runs in 13 games, he has been a prolific run-getter in the history of IPL. Only time will tell if the team management’s bold decision to part ways with Mayank bears fruit in the longer run. On the other hand, Punjab have backed Shahrukh Khan despite his poor 2022 season.
PBKS have quite expectedly moved past Odean Smith and Benny Howell and freed up some overseas slots. However, the think tank’s decision to release Sandeep Sharma, Ishan Porel, and Vaibhav Arora has meant that Shikhar Dhawan &amp; co. does not have many reserves in the seam-bowling department.
Courtesy of some big releases, PBKS have INR 32.2 CR available with them. Thus, they could go all guns blazing for either Curran, Green, or Stokes to fill the all-rounder void in the team. With no Mayank in the team, Punjab will also be needing a solid Indian batter in the mix.

<h3>3. Royal Challengers Bangalore - 8.5/10</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/featureimage/Royal-Challengers-Bangalore2-1.jpg" width="640" height="400" alt="">
In IPL 2022, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/rcb-royal-challengers-bangalore/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Royal Challengers Bangalore</a> showed a lot of consistency in their team selection and reaped dividends for the same, reaching the second qualifier. This time around, the Bangalore franchise have displayed stability in their retentions and backed the majority of the players to come good for the forthcoming edition of the tournament.
RCB have let go of a total of five players, which includes Sherfane Rutherford, who was quite mediocre with the bat in the previous edition, scoring mere 33 runs in three matches. Another significant release has been that of Behrendorff, who has been traded to Mumbai Indians.
&nbsp;In their current crop of players, Bangalore does not have many death-bowling options. Also, with Harshal Patel’s dwindling returns in the international circuit, Faf du Plessis &amp; co. would want to draft a quality seamer, who can be lethal at the slog overs. RCB have presently INR 8.75 CR remaining in their purse, which might not be enough to rope a few top-class reinforcements.

<h3>2. Chennai Super Kings - 8.5/10</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/featureimage/Chennai-Super-Kings2.jpg" width="640" height="400" alt="">
Chennai Super Kings are not known to do wholesale changes and this time too, the four-time champions have stuck with the majority of their players. However, they dropped a bombshell by parting ways with <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/dwayne-bravo-to-retire-from-international-cricket-after-2021-t20-world-cup/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dwayne Bravo</a>, who has been instrumental to the success of the team in the past. However, this ploy is a well-thought one with the future in sight as the veteran all-rounder is in the twilight of his career.
CSK has also moved past Chris Jordan, who was pretty mediocre with his showings in the last season leaking at an economy of 10.52 in four matches. Also, the team management have rightly let go of Adam Milne who is known to be plagued by injuries more often than not.&nbsp;
With Robin Uthappa, retiring from all forms of Indian cricket, the team management will need to fill his void in the batting line-up. Also, CSK does not have a gun death bowler at their disposal barring Dwaine Pretorius. Thus, the think tank could look to add a high-quality overseas seamer at the IPL 2023 auction.

<h3>1. Delhi Capitals - 9/10</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/featureimage/Delhi-Capitals-8.jpg" width="640" height="400" alt="">
Delhi Capitals parted ways with only five players and kept the balance of the side intact. Their biggest release of the lot was Shardul. The Indian all-rounder cost the franchise a whooping INR 10.75 CR at the 2022 mega auction and DC traded him to KKR for Aman Khan. This was a clever move from Delhi’s end as Rishabh Pant &amp; co. already have some quality Indian seamers such as Chetan Sakariya, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/it-always-feels-great-to-perform-well-for-the-team-khaleel-ahmed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Khaleel Ahmed</a>, and Kamlesh Nagarkoti in their ranks.
DC have also released the likes of Tim Seifert, Mandeep Singh, and KS Bharat. This move was on expected lines as the trio failed to impress with their performances in the 15th edition of the lucrative T20 tournament. Also, the exit of Ashwin Hebbar was not a surprise as Delhi has talented batters like Yash Dhull and Sarfaraz Khan at their disposal.
The Delhi franchise are quite thin on top-class seam-bowling all-rounders. They do have Mitchell Marsh but the Australian cricketer’s injury concerns bar him from bowling regularly. Thus, DC shall go fishing for multifaceted players at the upcoming auction and they have a healthy purse of INR 19.45 CR which could help them achieve the same.

The preparations for the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League are in full swing. Ahead of the IPL 2023 auction scheduled on December 23 in Kochi, franchises have released the players who do not f

IPL 2023: Rating teams based on their retentions & releases

IPL franchises submitted their list of retained players for the upcoming edition on November 15.

IPL 2023: Rating teams based on their retentions and releases

Here we look at all ten IPL franchises and rate them based on their retentions and releases

IPL 2023: Rating teams based on their retentions and releases

IPL franchises submitted their list of retained players for the upcoming edition on November 15.

9. Sunrisers Hyderabad - 6.5/10