The Shah Rukh Khan co-owned franchise will go into the IPL mini auction next month with a 17-member squad as they released only five players from the existing one. The deadline for the eight franchises to submit the lists of retained and released players ended on Wednesday.
Among the big names released were big-hitting Tom Banton and Guyana Amazon Warriors captain in the Caribbean Premier League Chris Green. However, both the overseas players got little chance in the last edition of the tournament.
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While the former played only two matches scoring 18 runs, the 26-year-old South African all-rounder got a chance in one game. Among Indian players, they decided to do away with Mumbai batsman Siddesh Lad, Maharashtra wicketkeeper-batsman Nikhil Naik and Tamil Nadu left-arm finger spinner M Siddarth.
The team also laid to rest talks about releasing Dinesh Karthik. The wicketkeeper-batsman was replaced midway last season as captain by Englandās Eoin Morgan and many thought Karthikās poor form will see him lose his place in the side too.
Chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav also retained his place in spite of playing just five matches in the 2020 season before falling out of contention for a spot in the playing XI. He played just one ODI during Indiaās recently-concluded tour of Australia and couldnāt make it to the playing XI in the four-Test series.
The side will go in the auction with a purse of Rs 10.85 crore with a maximum of seven players to buy.
Retained players: Eoin Morgan, Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Nitish Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Rinku Singh, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Mavi, Shubman Gill, Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Rahul Tripathi, Varun Chakravarthy, Ali Khan, Tim Seifert.
Released players: Tom Banton, Chris Green, Siddhesh Lad, Nikhil Naik, M Siddharth, Harry Gurney
