IPL 2019: 5 Released players who might be picked by the same team at a lesser price

It is the Indian Premier League (IPL) that instigates excitement almost throughout the year above all other cricketing leagues. The upcoming season of the lucrative tournament is still a few months away but the preparations are on a roll with new developments emerging about it almost every day.

The player release, retention and the traded lists by all the eight franchises were circulated earlier this month. This was the first step towards what is expected to be another frenzied IPL edition. Some of the heavyweights that were released were Brendon McCullum, Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Aaron Finch and Mitchell Starc among others.

The auction is set to take place on December 18th at Jaipur wherein the released players and some new players will go under the hammer. However, there are a handful of players who still have a chance to regain their place at a relatively lower price in the same squad.

Here are five players who could get picked by the same team:

5. Brendon McCullum (RCB)

The Black Caps’ marauder had set the tournament ablaze by scoring a century in the very first match of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Since then, Brendon McCullum has been a trump card for all the teams that he has played for. The Bangalore-based franchise went for him the last year and was purchased for Rs 3.60 Crore. However, his performance was way below par, managing 127 runs in six encounters at an average of 21.16.

The retired batsman may have lost his edge to destroy bowling attacks like before but with Quinton de Kock traded to Mumbai Indians, McCullum can be very useful at the top of the order for his former side. He is also coming off a good season in the Caribbean Premier League where he scored 343 runs in 13 games in the opening position. His team Trinbago Knight Riders also won the tournament. McCullum could possibly return to his side for a relatively lower price.

4. Gautam Gambhir (DD)

Gautam Gambhir was shockingly released from the Kolkata Knight Riders set-up ahead of the 2018 IPL campaign. He returned back to his home franchise Delhi Daredevils, who snapped him for INR 2.8 crores and made the captain of the team.

However, owing to a string of poor performances, Gambhir stepped down from the captaincy role as well as forced himself out of the team. In spite of this, a player like him is an asset to any team because of his ability to rotate the strike as an opening batsman and adapt easily to different situations.

Garnering over 4000 runs in IPL, the Delhi batsman can also play the role of an attacking player as well as an anchor. With Shikhar Dhawan likely to be rested for some part of the tournament ahead of the World Cup, Gambhir can fill his shoes at the top of the order with Prithvi Shaw.

3. Glenn Maxwell (DD)

The Victorian batsman was the biggest disappointment during the last season. He was recruited by the Delhi Daredevils for a whopping amount of Rs 9 Crores. Nevertheless, he couldn’t measure up to the price tag and scored only 169 runs in 12 games. Being an all-rounder, Maxwell took only five wickets with his off-spin.

His recent form has been slightly volatile, however, as unpredictable as he is, the 30-year old is very much capable of turning the tide in a span of just a few deliveries. His fielding skills on the top of it make him still eligible to draw good bids in his favour. The bids may not be colossal but Daredevils may persist with him in the upcoming auction.

2. JP Duminy (MI)

The South African middle-order batsman was bought by the Mumbai Indians for a base price of Rs 1 Crore. His exploits in the extravaganza overall suggest that his weightage should’ve been higher. Duminy’s average had been at least 40 in the seasons 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2016.

Mumbai Indians’ middle-order had been vastly struggling for stability in the last season. They constantly chopped and changed and handed the flamboyant left-hander just six games in all of which he could manage only 36 runs. Duminy couldn’t play any further and the defending champions failed to make it to the playoffs.

In a team comprising of finishers like Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, and Krunal Pandya, an experienced campaigner like Duminy can bring solidity in a vulnerable middle-order. The 34-year old can also assume the role of a leader if Rohit Sharma is rested during the tournament with the World Cup soon to follow after the IPL.

1. Heinrich Klaasen (RR)

The wicketkeeper-batsman was chosen as a replacement for Steve Smith during the last season of the competition. The right-hander was picked from the player pool for a base price of 50 lakhs. Klassen had come to light during the home series against India where his hard-hitting abilities were witnessed.

The 27-year-old could hardly trouble the opposition on his first ever visit India, managing only 57 runs in four matches. Persisting with Klassen couldn’t be a bad move since the trio of Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, and Steve Smith are most likely slated to return early from the tournament to prepare for the 10-team tournament in England.

His glovework can also be more than useful in absence of Buttler who kept wickets earlier this year. The possibility of the league taking place in South Africa further boosts his chances of reclaiming his place in the squad.

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