The current season of the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Premier League</a> is in full swing, and we are already 18 games into the tournament. There have been some scintillating performances and we’ve already seen two centuries from the bats of Sanju Samson and Devdutt Padikkal while the likes of Harshal Patel and Andre Russell have picked up 5-wicket hauls.

RCB, CSK, and even DC have been the best teams while the others have struggled for consistency. While the team management&#8217;s main focus is on the ongoing season, they will also be thinking about the next season and the upcoming mega auction at the back of their mind.

How players perform this season will decide whether or not the franchises want to build the core of their team around them during the next cycle. According to the rules from the previous auction, each team can retain a maximum of two overseas players and a maximum of three capped Indian players either through pre-auction retention or using the Right to Match card. Based on those rules, there could be a few big names who will be released, and here’s a look at one such player from each team.

One player from each franchise who might be released in IPL mega auction

1. Chennai Super Kings &#8211; Krishnappa Gowtham

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-424718" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Krishnappa-Gowtham.jpg" alt="Krishnappa Gowtham" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-424718" class="wp-caption-text">Krishnappa Gowtham. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Krishnappa Gowtham was one of the biggest surprises from the auction for IPL 2021 as he was sold for a massive Rs.9.25 crore. Since they already had Ravindra Jadeja and Mitchell Santner while also having bought Moeen Ali by then, they didn’t really need to go so hard for a backup player.

He primarily bats down the order at No.7 or No.8 and is capable of chipping in with 2-3 overs on a regular basis. He had a brilliant campaign in 2018 for the Rajasthan Royals, but a poor form in 2019 meant that they decided to trade him to the Punjab Kings.

The Karnataka player didn’t have much of an impact in 2020 either as he played just two games. Thus, it was surprising that teams engaged in such a fierce bidding war for him. Given that Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, and the team, in general, is in good form, it is unlikely that they will change the combination any time soon. Thus, he won’t even get opportunities to try and prove himself, which in turn means that he could be released ahead of the mega auction.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-371779" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Tom-Curran.jpg" alt="Tom Curran" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-371779" class="wp-caption-text">Tom Curran. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Tom Curran has failed to make an impact in his IPL career thus far and his time with both <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-match-21-pbks-vs-kkr-match-prediction-who-will-win-todays-match/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KKR</a> and RR were quite poor as he leaked runs at over 11 per over. Even his T20I economy for England is quite high as he concedes at more than 9, and hence it was surprising when the Delhi Capitals decided to buy him for an amount of Rs.5.25 crore.

He played the first two games this season due to the absence of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje but didn’t do much as he picked up just one wicket while conceding at 9.78. Even Chris Woakes has performed well, and the chances of him getting another game look rather slim at the moment.

Given that only two overseas players can be retained, those slots are likely to be taken up by Nortje and Rabada with the likes of Stoinis and Smith also providing good options.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-508345" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Pat-Cummins-2.jpg" alt="Pat Cummins" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-508345" class="wp-caption-text">Pat Cummins. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

Pat Cummins was a major disappointment for the Kolkata Knight Riders last season given the price he was bought for and the expectations he came with. He picked up just 12 wickets in 14 games, but the team management still kept the faith in him and retained him for the current season.

He hasn’t had a particularly bright start to this season either as he’s picked up just 4 wickets in five games while maintaining a poor economy rate of 9.17. The Australian was brilliant with the bat against the CSK, but they would obviously give a higher weightage to his performances with the ball.

At the moment, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/i-think-kkr-are-missing-a-trick-with-andre-russell-aakash-chopra/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andre Russell </a>seems a pretty obvious choice when it comes to retention, but there is no clear candidate for the 2nd overseas spot. Given the fact that Cummins hasn’t done anything special, it seems unlikely that they will retain him at present.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-454826" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Krunal-Pandya-3.jpg" alt="Krunal Pandya" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-454826" class="wp-caption-text">Krunal Pandya of Mumbai Indians (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-twitter-slams-krunal-pandya-for-his-over-aggressive-reactions-on-the-field/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Krunal Pandya’</a>s form has dipped significantly over the last couple of years, and he has struggled to impact games as he used to in his first three years with the franchise. He hasn’t crossed the 200 run mark in the last two seasons and has picked up just 18 wickets in that time period.

It hasn’t been any different this time around and he has struggled a fair bit. With just 29 runs in five games at a strike rate of less than 110 and only three wickets on a pitch that helped spinners, he has been underwhelming.

MI already have three top Indian players in the form of Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya and even the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Rahul Chahar, and Ishan Kishan are ahead of Krunal in the pecking order. Thus, it looks highly unlikely that he will be retained by them for the 15thedition of the league.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-508837" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Riley-Meredith.jpg" alt="Riley Meredith" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-508837" class="wp-caption-text">Riley Meredith of PBKS (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Riley Meredith was predicted to be one of the surprise packages of the 2021 Indian Premier League, but that hasn’t been the case thus far and he’s been quite poor. After being bought for Rs.8 crore, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/kkr-vs-pbks-head-to-head-record-in-ipl-history/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Punjab Kings </a>would have expected him to be a star performer, but he has failed to fire in the games so far.

The Australian pacer has picked up just two wickets in three games at a strike rate of 30 while conceding at 10.5. He has been inconsistent with his line and length, and that has quite obviously affected his returns as well.

PBKS don’t have any clear-cut favorites when it comes to overseas players as none of them have performed quite well and the only one who has delivered the goods is Chris Gayle, who will turn 42 soon. The 24-year-old will have to improve his performances significantly if he is to have another season with the KL Rahul-led franchise.

6. Rajasthan Royals – Ben Stokes

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-505271" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Ben-Stokes-1.jpg" alt="Ben Stokes" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-505271" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Stokes. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Ben Stokes has established himself amongst the very best cricketers in the world with his showings for the English team, but the same can’t be said for his performances with the Rajasthan Royals. He has been quite underwhelming for them in the three seasons, but they backed him and retained him for this season as well.

However, he injured himself while fielding during the first game and has now been ruled out of the tournament. He bowled just the one over and conceded 12 runs while being dismissed without scoring a run with the bat.

It is almost certain that the Royals will retain Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler as the two overseas players, which leaves no place for Ben Stokes. Thus, he is likely to find himself playing for a new team next year and the same can be said about <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-match-18-rr-vs-kkr-chris-morris-record-four-fer-dinesh-karthiks-milestone-and-more-stats/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Morris</a>, who was bought for a record Rs.16.25 crore.

7. Royal Challengers Bangalore – Kyle Jamieson

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-503716" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Kyle-Jamieson.jpg" alt="Kyle Jamieson" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-503716" class="wp-caption-text">Kyle Jamieson of RCB (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

Kyle Jamieson was one of the biggest talking points from the auction as he was bought for a whopping Rs.15 crore and many felt that <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ms-dhoni-is-a-master-rcb-head-coach-simon-katich-showers-praise-on-dhoni-ahead-of-csk-vs-rcb-clash/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RCB </a>overpaid for him given that he was yet to prove himself as a T20 player.

However, he has proved his doubters wrong with his performances thus far as he has picked up 6 wickets in four games at a strike rate of 14, which makes up for his slightly expensive economy rate of 9. The New Zealander has also contributed 27 runs down the order at a strike rate of nearly 160.

Despite his good start, it is unlikely he will be retained as the two overseas slots could potentially be taken up by AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell. While ABD is 37, he has shown no signs of slowing down and even in general adds to the brand value of the franchise. Maxwell has been a terrific signing thus far as he has scored 176 runs in 3 games. Thus, Jamieson could be released despite no real shortcoming from his side.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-504427" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Manish-Pandey.jpg" alt="Manish Pandey" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-504427" class="wp-caption-text">Manish Pandey. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

Manish Pandey was one of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/srh-vs-dc-dream11-prediction-fantasy-cricket-tips-playing-xi-updates-pitch-report-injury-updates-for-match-20-apr-25th-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SRH’s</a> marquee signings at the 2018 auction when they signed him for Rs.11 crore and big things were expected from him as he was their best Indian batsman. But he failed to deliver the goods that season and even the next one as he couldn’t cross the 350-run mark in either of them.

They still backed him for the 2020 edition and it finally looked like he found some sort of form as he scored 425 runs at an average of nearly 33. As a result, he was retained for this edition as well but things haven’t gone according to plan as he scored 101 runs in 3 games at a mediocre strike rate of 112.22 before being dropped for the fourth game.

Being dropped so early in the tournament shows that the team management might have lost faith in the Indian batsman and if that’s the case, it is highly likely that he will be released. Three of the five places are certainly going to be occupied by David Warner, Rashid Khan, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The other two could be taken up by T Natarajan and Abdul Samad given the lack of such players in the domestic market, but all in all Pandey’s chances of being retained look slim at the moment.

The current season of the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Premier League</a> is in full swing, and we are already 18 games into the tournament. There have been some scintillating performances and we’ve already seen two centuries from the bats of Sanju Samson and Devdutt Padikkal while the likes of Harshal Patel and Andre Russell have picked up 5-wicket hauls.
RCB, CSK, and even DC have been the best teams while the others have struggled for consistency. While the team management’s main focus is on the ongoing season, they will also be thinking about the next season and the upcoming mega auction at the back of their mind.
How players perform this season will decide whether or not the franchises want to build the core of their team around them during the next cycle. According to the rules from the previous auction, each team can retain a maximum of two overseas players and a maximum of three capped Indian players either through pre-auction retention or using the Right to Match card. Based on those rules, there could be a few big names who will be released, and here’s a look at one such player from each team.
<h2>One player from each franchise who might be released in IPL mega auction</h2>
<h3>1. Chennai Super Kings – Krishnappa Gowtham</h3>
<figure id="attachment_424718" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-424718" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-424718" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Krishnappa-Gowtham.jpg" alt="Krishnappa Gowtham" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-424718" class="wp-caption-text">Krishnappa Gowtham. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Krishnappa Gowtham was one of the biggest surprises from the auction for IPL 2021 as he was sold for a massive Rs.9.25 crore. Since they already had Ravindra Jadeja and Mitchell Santner while also having bought Moeen Ali by then, they didn’t really need to go so hard for a backup player.
He primarily bats down the order at No.7 or No.8 and is capable of chipping in with 2-3 overs on a regular basis. He had a brilliant campaign in 2018 for the Rajasthan Royals, but a poor form in 2019 meant that they decided to trade him to the Punjab Kings.
The Karnataka player didn’t have much of an impact in 2020 either as he played just two games. Thus, it was surprising that teams engaged in such a fierce bidding war for him. Given that Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, and the team, in general, is in good form, it is unlikely that they will change the combination any time soon. Thus, he won’t even get opportunities to try and prove himself, which in turn means that he could be released ahead of the mega auction.

<h3>2. Delhi Capitals – Tom Curran</h3>
<figure id="attachment_371779" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-371779" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-371779" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Tom-Curran.jpg" alt="Tom Curran" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-371779" class="wp-caption-text">Tom Curran. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Tom Curran has failed to make an impact in his IPL career thus far and his time with both <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-match-21-pbks-vs-kkr-match-prediction-who-will-win-todays-match/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KKR</a> and RR were quite poor as he leaked runs at over 11 per over. Even his T20I economy for England is quite high as he concedes at more than 9, and hence it was surprising when the Delhi Capitals decided to buy him for an amount of Rs.5.25 crore.
He played the first two games this season due to the absence of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje but didn’t do much as he picked up just one wicket while conceding at 9.78. Even Chris Woakes has performed well, and the chances of him getting another game look rather slim at the moment.
Given that only two overseas players can be retained, those slots are likely to be taken up by Nortje and Rabada with the likes of Stoinis and Smith also providing good options.

<h3>3. Kolkata Knight Riders – Pat Cummins</h3>
<figure id="attachment_508345" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-508345" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-508345" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Pat-Cummins-2.jpg" alt="Pat Cummins" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-508345" class="wp-caption-text">Pat Cummins. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
Pat Cummins was a major disappointment for the Kolkata Knight Riders last season given the price he was bought for and the expectations he came with. He picked up just 12 wickets in 14 games, but the team management still kept the faith in him and retained him for the current season.
He hasn’t had a particularly bright start to this season either as he’s picked up just 4 wickets in five games while maintaining a poor economy rate of 9.17. The Australian was brilliant with the bat against the CSK, but they would obviously give a higher weightage to his performances with the ball.
At the moment, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/i-think-kkr-are-missing-a-trick-with-andre-russell-aakash-chopra/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andre Russell </a>seems a pretty obvious choice when it comes to retention, but there is no clear candidate for the 2nd overseas spot. Given the fact that Cummins hasn’t done anything special, it seems unlikely that they will retain him at present.

<h3>&nbsp;4. Mumbai Indians – Krunal Pandya</h3>
<figure id="attachment_454826" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-454826" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-454826" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Krunal-Pandya-3.jpg" alt="Krunal Pandya" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-454826" class="wp-caption-text">Krunal Pandya of Mumbai Indians (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-twitter-slams-krunal-pandya-for-his-over-aggressive-reactions-on-the-field/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Krunal Pandya’</a>s form has dipped significantly over the last couple of years, and he has struggled to impact games as he used to in his first three years with the franchise. He hasn’t crossed the 200 run mark in the last two seasons and has picked up just 18 wickets in that time period.
It hasn’t been any different this time around and he has struggled a fair bit. With just 29 runs in five games at a strike rate of less than 110 and only three wickets on a pitch that helped spinners, he has been underwhelming.
MI already have three top Indian players in the form of Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya and even the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Rahul Chahar, and Ishan Kishan are ahead of Krunal in the pecking order. Thus, it looks highly unlikely that he will be retained by them for the 15thedition of the league.

<h3>5. Punjab Kings – Riley Meredith</h3>
<figure id="attachment_508837" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-508837" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-508837" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Riley-Meredith.jpg" alt="Riley Meredith" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-508837" class="wp-caption-text">Riley Meredith of PBKS (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Riley Meredith was predicted to be one of the surprise packages of the 2021 Indian Premier League, but that hasn’t been the case thus far and he’s been quite poor. After being bought for Rs.8 crore, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/kkr-vs-pbks-head-to-head-record-in-ipl-history/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Punjab Kings </a>would have expected him to be a star performer, but he has failed to fire in the games so far.
The Australian pacer has picked up just two wickets in three games at a strike rate of 30 while conceding at 10.5. He has been inconsistent with his line and length, and that has quite obviously affected his returns as well.
PBKS don’t have any clear-cut favorites when it comes to overseas players as none of them have performed quite well and the only one who has delivered the goods is Chris Gayle, who will turn 42 soon. The 24-year-old will have to improve his performances significantly if he is to have another season with the KL Rahul-led franchise.

<h3>6. Rajasthan Royals – Ben Stokes</h3>
<figure id="attachment_505271" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-505271" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-505271" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Ben-Stokes-1.jpg" alt="Ben Stokes" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-505271" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Stokes. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Ben Stokes has established himself amongst the very best cricketers in the world with his showings for the English team, but the same can’t be said for his performances with the Rajasthan Royals. He has been quite underwhelming for them in the three seasons, but they backed him and retained him for this season as well.
However, he injured himself while fielding during the first game and has now been ruled out of the tournament. He bowled just the one over and conceded 12 runs while being dismissed without scoring a run with the bat.
It is almost certain that the Royals will retain Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler as the two overseas players, which leaves no place for Ben Stokes. Thus, he is likely to find himself playing for a new team next year and the same can be said about <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-match-18-rr-vs-kkr-chris-morris-record-four-fer-dinesh-karthiks-milestone-and-more-stats/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Morris</a>, who was bought for a record Rs.16.25 crore.

<h3>&nbsp;7. Royal Challengers Bangalore – Kyle Jamieson</h3>
<figure id="attachment_503716" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-503716" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-503716" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Kyle-Jamieson.jpg" alt="Kyle Jamieson" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-503716" class="wp-caption-text">Kyle Jamieson of RCB (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
Kyle Jamieson was one of the biggest talking points from the auction as he was bought for a whopping Rs.15 crore and many felt that <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ms-dhoni-is-a-master-rcb-head-coach-simon-katich-showers-praise-on-dhoni-ahead-of-csk-vs-rcb-clash/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RCB </a>overpaid for him given that he was yet to prove himself as a T20 player.
However, he has proved his doubters wrong with his performances thus far as he has picked up 6 wickets in four games at a strike rate of 14, which makes up for his slightly expensive economy rate of 9. The New Zealander has also contributed 27 runs down the order at a strike rate of nearly 160.
Despite his good start, it is unlikely he will be retained as the two overseas slots could potentially be taken up by AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell. While ABD is 37, he has shown no signs of slowing down and even in general adds to the brand value of the franchise. Maxwell has been a terrific signing thus far as he has scored 176 runs in 3 games. Thus, Jamieson could be released despite no real shortcoming from his side.

<h3>8. Sunrisers Hyderabad – Manish Pandey</h3>
<figure id="attachment_504427" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-504427" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-504427" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Manish-Pandey.jpg" alt="Manish Pandey" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-504427" class="wp-caption-text">Manish Pandey. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
Manish Pandey was one of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/srh-vs-dc-dream11-prediction-fantasy-cricket-tips-playing-xi-updates-pitch-report-injury-updates-for-match-20-apr-25th-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SRH’s</a> marquee signings at the 2018 auction when they signed him for Rs.11 crore and big things were expected from him as he was their best Indian batsman. But he failed to deliver the goods that season and even the next one as he couldn’t cross the 350-run mark in either of them.
They still backed him for the 2020 edition and it finally looked like he found some sort of form as he scored 425 runs at an average of nearly 33. As a result, he was retained for this edition as well but things haven’t gone according to plan as he scored 101 runs in 3 games at a mediocre strike rate of 112.22 before being dropped for the fourth game.
Being dropped so early in the tournament shows that the team management might have lost faith in the Indian batsman and if that’s the case, it is highly likely that he will be released. Three of the five places are certainly going to be occupied by David Warner, Rashid Khan, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The other two could be taken up by T Natarajan and Abdul Samad given the lack of such players in the domestic market, but all in all Pandey’s chances of being retained look slim at the moment.

The current season of the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Premier League</a> is in full swing, and we are already 18 games into the tournament. There have been some scintillating performances and we’ve already seen two centuries from the bats of Sanju Samson and Devdutt Padikkal while the likes of Harshal Patel and Andre Russell have picked up 5-wicket hauls.
RCB, CSK, and even DC have been the best teams while the others have struggled for consistency. While the team management&#8217;s main focus is on the ongoing season, they will also be thinking about the next season and the upcoming mega auction at the back of their mind.
How players perform this season will decide whether or not the franchises want to build the core of their team around them during the next cycle. According to the rules from the previous auction, each team can retain a maximum of two overseas players and a maximum of three capped Indian players either through pre-auction retention or using the Right to Match card. Based on those rules, there could be a few big names who will be released, and here’s a look at one such player from each team.
<h2>One player from each franchise who might be released in IPL mega auction</h2>
<h3>1. Chennai Super Kings &#8211; Krishnappa Gowtham</h3>
<figure id="attachment_424718" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-424718" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-424718" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Krishnappa-Gowtham.jpg" alt="Krishnappa Gowtham" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-424718" class="wp-caption-text">Krishnappa Gowtham. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Krishnappa Gowtham was one of the biggest surprises from the auction for IPL 2021 as he was sold for a massive Rs.9.25 crore. Since they already had Ravindra Jadeja and Mitchell Santner while also having bought Moeen Ali by then, they didn’t really need to go so hard for a backup player.
He primarily bats down the order at No.7 or No.8 and is capable of chipping in with 2-3 overs on a regular basis. He had a brilliant campaign in 2018 for the Rajasthan Royals, but a poor form in 2019 meant that they decided to trade him to the Punjab Kings.
The Karnataka player didn’t have much of an impact in 2020 either as he played just two games. Thus, it was surprising that teams engaged in such a fierce bidding war for him. Given that Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, and the team, in general, is in good form, it is unlikely that they will change the combination any time soon. Thus, he won’t even get opportunities to try and prove himself, which in turn means that he could be released ahead of the mega auction.

<h3>2. Delhi Capitals – Tom Curran</h3>
<figure id="attachment_371779" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-371779" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-371779" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Tom-Curran.jpg" alt="Tom Curran" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-371779" class="wp-caption-text">Tom Curran. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Tom Curran has failed to make an impact in his IPL career thus far and his time with both <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-match-21-pbks-vs-kkr-match-prediction-who-will-win-todays-match/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KKR</a> and RR were quite poor as he leaked runs at over 11 per over. Even his T20I economy for England is quite high as he concedes at more than 9, and hence it was surprising when the Delhi Capitals decided to buy him for an amount of Rs.5.25 crore.
He played the first two games this season due to the absence of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje but didn’t do much as he picked up just one wicket while conceding at 9.78. Even Chris Woakes has performed well, and the chances of him getting another game look rather slim at the moment.
Given that only two overseas players can be retained, those slots are likely to be taken up by Nortje and Rabada with the likes of Stoinis and Smith also providing good options.

<h3>3. Kolkata Knight Riders – Pat Cummins</h3>
<figure id="attachment_508345" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-508345" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-508345" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Pat-Cummins-2.jpg" alt="Pat Cummins" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-508345" class="wp-caption-text">Pat Cummins. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
Pat Cummins was a major disappointment for the Kolkata Knight Riders last season given the price he was bought for and the expectations he came with. He picked up just 12 wickets in 14 games, but the team management still kept the faith in him and retained him for the current season.
He hasn’t had a particularly bright start to this season either as he’s picked up just 4 wickets in five games while maintaining a poor economy rate of 9.17. The Australian was brilliant with the bat against the CSK, but they would obviously give a higher weightage to his performances with the ball.
At the moment, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/i-think-kkr-are-missing-a-trick-with-andre-russell-aakash-chopra/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andre Russell </a>seems a pretty obvious choice when it comes to retention, but there is no clear candidate for the 2nd overseas spot. Given the fact that Cummins hasn’t done anything special, it seems unlikely that they will retain him at present.

<h3> 4. Mumbai Indians – Krunal Pandya</h3>
<figure id="attachment_454826" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-454826" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-454826" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Krunal-Pandya-3.jpg" alt="Krunal Pandya" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-454826" class="wp-caption-text">Krunal Pandya of Mumbai Indians (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-twitter-slams-krunal-pandya-for-his-over-aggressive-reactions-on-the-field/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Krunal Pandya’</a>s form has dipped significantly over the last couple of years, and he has struggled to impact games as he used to in his first three years with the franchise. He hasn’t crossed the 200 run mark in the last two seasons and has picked up just 18 wickets in that time period.
It hasn’t been any different this time around and he has struggled a fair bit. With just 29 runs in five games at a strike rate of less than 110 and only three wickets on a pitch that helped spinners, he has been underwhelming.
MI already have three top Indian players in the form of Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya and even the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Rahul Chahar, and Ishan Kishan are ahead of Krunal in the pecking order. Thus, it looks highly unlikely that he will be retained by them for the 15thedition of the league.

<h3>5. Punjab Kings – Riley Meredith</h3>
<figure id="attachment_508837" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-508837" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-508837" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Riley-Meredith.jpg" alt="Riley Meredith" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-508837" class="wp-caption-text">Riley Meredith of PBKS (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Riley Meredith was predicted to be one of the surprise packages of the 2021 Indian Premier League, but that hasn’t been the case thus far and he’s been quite poor. After being bought for Rs.8 crore, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/kkr-vs-pbks-head-to-head-record-in-ipl-history/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Punjab Kings </a>would have expected him to be a star performer, but he has failed to fire in the games so far.
The Australian pacer has picked up just two wickets in three games at a strike rate of 30 while conceding at 10.5. He has been inconsistent with his line and length, and that has quite obviously affected his returns as well.
PBKS don’t have any clear-cut favorites when it comes to overseas players as none of them have performed quite well and the only one who has delivered the goods is Chris Gayle, who will turn 42 soon. The 24-year-old will have to improve his performances significantly if he is to have another season with the KL Rahul-led franchise.

<h3>6. Rajasthan Royals – Ben Stokes</h3>
<figure id="attachment_505271" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-505271" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-505271" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Ben-Stokes-1.jpg" alt="Ben Stokes" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-505271" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Stokes. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Ben Stokes has established himself amongst the very best cricketers in the world with his showings for the English team, but the same can’t be said for his performances with the Rajasthan Royals. He has been quite underwhelming for them in the three seasons, but they backed him and retained him for this season as well.
However, he injured himself while fielding during the first game and has now been ruled out of the tournament. He bowled just the one over and conceded 12 runs while being dismissed without scoring a run with the bat.
It is almost certain that the Royals will retain Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler as the two overseas players, which leaves no place for Ben Stokes. Thus, he is likely to find himself playing for a new team next year and the same can be said about <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-match-18-rr-vs-kkr-chris-morris-record-four-fer-dinesh-karthiks-milestone-and-more-stats/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Morris</a>, who was bought for a record Rs.16.25 crore.

<h3> 7. Royal Challengers Bangalore – Kyle Jamieson</h3>
<figure id="attachment_503716" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-503716" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-503716" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Kyle-Jamieson.jpg" alt="Kyle Jamieson" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-503716" class="wp-caption-text">Kyle Jamieson of RCB (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
Kyle Jamieson was one of the biggest talking points from the auction as he was bought for a whopping Rs.15 crore and many felt that <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ms-dhoni-is-a-master-rcb-head-coach-simon-katich-showers-praise-on-dhoni-ahead-of-csk-vs-rcb-clash/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RCB </a>overpaid for him given that he was yet to prove himself as a T20 player.
However, he has proved his doubters wrong with his performances thus far as he has picked up 6 wickets in four games at a strike rate of 14, which makes up for his slightly expensive economy rate of 9. The New Zealander has also contributed 27 runs down the order at a strike rate of nearly 160.
Despite his good start, it is unlikely he will be retained as the two overseas slots could potentially be taken up by AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell. While ABD is 37, he has shown no signs of slowing down and even in general adds to the brand value of the franchise. Maxwell has been a terrific signing thus far as he has scored 176 runs in 3 games. Thus, Jamieson could be released despite no real shortcoming from his side.

<h3>8. Sunrisers Hyderabad – Manish Pandey</h3>
<figure id="attachment_504427" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-504427" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-504427" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Manish-Pandey.jpg" alt="Manish Pandey" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-504427" class="wp-caption-text">Manish Pandey. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
Manish Pandey was one of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/srh-vs-dc-dream11-prediction-fantasy-cricket-tips-playing-xi-updates-pitch-report-injury-updates-for-match-20-apr-25th-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SRH’s</a> marquee signings at the 2018 auction when they signed him for Rs.11 crore and big things were expected from him as he was their best Indian batsman. But he failed to deliver the goods that season and even the next one as he couldn’t cross the 350-run mark in either of them.
They still backed him for the 2020 edition and it finally looked like he found some sort of form as he scored 425 runs at an average of nearly 33. As a result, he was retained for this edition as well but things haven’t gone according to plan as he scored 101 runs in 3 games at a mediocre strike rate of 112.22 before being dropped for the fourth game.
Being dropped so early in the tournament shows that the team management might have lost faith in the Indian batsman and if that’s the case, it is highly likely that he will be released. Three of the five places are certainly going to be occupied by David Warner, Rashid Khan, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The other two could be taken up by T Natarajan and Abdul Samad given the lack of such players in the domestic market, but all in all Pandey’s chances of being retained look slim at the moment.

Players who might see another team in their next IPL outing.

IPL: Team-wise one expensive player who might be released ahead of mega auction

How players perform this IPL will decide whether or not the franchises want to build the core of their team around them during next cycle.