Reports: KKR to release Gautam Gambhir for IPL 2018

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are all set to release their captain Gautam Gambhir for the next edition of Indian Premier League (IPL). The news comes as a severe jolt to the cricketer who has led the side admirably well in the last few seasons and has won the coveted title twice. On the other hand, the retention of Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni by their respective franchise is almost confirmed. However, KKR franchise would still have an opportunity to buy Gambhir back during the auction with the Right to Match (RTM) card.

Earlier there were possibilities that KKR might let go the left-hander given his downward graph as a batsman. Even Gambhir himself was surprised that the team management of the franchise had not contacted him to discuss the retention policy. Though he had also cleared that he was open to playing for any other IPL cricket team in the tournament. The deadline to submit the list of retained players is January 4 as the host broadcaster will telecast the retention event live on Star Sports.

Sunil Narine to be retained

The reports in DNA India confirmed the news of Gautam Gambhir not being retained by Kolkata Knight Riders. It also said that the franchise is still unsure about the players they want to keep with them for the next season. Sunil Narine looks set to be retained following his exploits with both bat and ball last year. The likes of Chris Lynn and Andre Russel are the likely contenders in the list but nothing has been officially confirmed as of now.

Gambhir has amassed 3035 runs for KKR since he has taken over the mantle of the side. Interestingly, he built the side the way he wanted and led them to the title in 2012 and 2014. He also used to be actively present in the auctions and play a crucial role in buying a player. Though the scenes won’t be same this time around with him not being retained and the KKR table at the auction would surely miss his presence.