Reports: Delhi Capitals likely to release Shardul Thakur ahead of IPL 2023 auction

In less than three weeks, the Indian Premier League franchises will be releasing their players and one big name that might be released from the Delhi Capitals is of Shardul Thakur. The Delhi Capitals team is poised to release the Indian all-rounder, in order to buy him back for a lower price at the auctions for the IPL 2023.

Thakur is currently in Australia with the Indian side that is participating in the T20 World Cup 2022. Though he is not officially a part of the squad, he’s there as one of the reserve players. Thakur's performance might not have fully matched the demands for the money given that he was purchased by the Capitals for Rs 10.75 crore.

Last season, he appeared in 14 games and only managed to score 120 runs. Despite taking 15 wickets, the 31-year-old's economy rate was close to 10, and his average was 31.5. He was a standout player for his previous team, the Chennai Super Kings, but his first season with the Capitals was a little below average.

As per a report by Cricbuzz, the chances of Thakur being released are high, and the other players who may join him in the same are wicketkeeper-batter KS Bharat and batter Mandeep Singh, who were purchased for a bidding price of INR 2 crore and INR 1.10 crore respectively.

Andhra's KS Bharat, one of the top wicketkeepers in the nation, was unable to make a place in the starting XI because captain Rishabh Pant was keeping the wickets. Mandeep, on the other hand, may not have done his chances much good with only 18 runs in three games.

IPL Auctions set to be take place on December 16

The teams must notify the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of the players they intend to release by November 15 at the latest. The auction is most likely to take place on December 16 in either Bengaluru or Istanbul, Turkey. The trade window for the upcoming edition of the tournament opened after the 2022 edition ended, but there has not been any activity on that front.