IPL retentions
The window for IPL retentions opened todayand teams will have the option to retain as many as four players. A crucial time in the IPL calendar, ahead of an upcoming mega auction in the near future. Of course, this year, we’ve got the added complexity of two new teams joining the tournament, with those teams able to pick three players after the original retention window ends. The window for the incumbent IPL teams to pick their retentions, starts today and runs until the end of November. From there, the two new teams will have from December 1st until December 25th to pick their players.
Overall budget for each team is 90 cr, with the following salaries deducted for each retention option:
This year also sees the introduction of more player power, where individual players can choose to enter themselves into the auction if they aren’t happy with their value or current franchise. This could make it particularly tricky for franchises when it comes to uncapped players. For example; someone like Ravi Bishnoi would’ve been a straight forward decision for an uncapped retention at 4 cr in the past, however this time around, Bishnoi could quite easily decline that himself. Instead opting to test his bets at auction, knowing there’s a fair chance he’d earn more going down that route.
Overall, I think it’s a positive move and will see players earning what’s closer to their true value, rather than sometimes being underpaid in the past.
Chennai Super Kings
Retention options: MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Moeen Ali & Sam Curran.
Uncapped options: No one
My picks:
MS Dhoni (16 cr) - Obviously I wouldn’t do this but it seems inevitable. From a cricketing point of view, at 40 years of age, he isn’t worth a retention at any price point. However, I’ve also got no idea of the commercial value for a franchise of having a player of Dhoni’ status in the side, though it isn’t really relevant because you technically can’t spend any of that ‘commercial money’ anyway, since each team has a fixed budget anyway. Alas, it’s all but guaranteed that Dhoni will be retained.
Ravindra Jadeja (12 cr) - Based on current salaries, this would be a 5cr rise for Jadeja and well deserved in my view. Jadeja’s batting has improved markedly, to the point where he can’t be far off being considered as a genuine all-rounder in t20 cricket:
His batting stats haven’t just improved, they’ve gone through the roof. He’s probably slightly over performing but he’s clearly improved as a t20 batter. When you combine that with his bowling, he’ll generally bowl at least 2–3 overs most games. He’s mainly a matchups bowler these days, so you don’t want to be needing four overs from him every game, like India do but when you don’t need a full quota, plus extra assistance at Chepauk, it makes him a far more reliable option.
Moeen Ali (8 cr) - If you’re going with Jadeja, may as well grab Moeen while you’re at it. Gives you two match up bowlers with batting ability and a solid foundation to build the rest of your side around. Part of his bowling that’s very underrated, is that he isn’t just an economical bowler against LHB’s, he’s also very attacking; with an economy of under 7 rpo and strike rate of around 15 against left handers since 2018.
Of course Moeen has more than just batting ability. His fast scoring against spin is well documented but he basically whacks any bowling type.
Ruturaj Gaikwad (6 cr) - Fresh off a 600+ run season for CSK last season, I think Gaikwad is guaranteed to be retained and could even be at a higher price point. He still has flaws in his game, generally starts quite slowly but seemed to be improving this as the season went on:
A definite improvement, though we should be hesitant given the small sample sizes. Post PP slowdowns are also fairly common with him, which aren’t really acceptable given his overall ability against spin (averaging mid 50’s and striking at 154 last season). There are still things to iron out, overall it was a hugely impressive campaign though.
Delhi Capitals
Retention options: Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw, Axar Patel, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Anrich Nortje & KG Rabada.
Uncapped options: Avesh Khan
Rishabh Pant (16 cr) - A few months ago I wouldn’t have hesitated about writing this. However Pant’s prolonged slump in t20 cricket is becoming a bit of a concern for me. I think it’s more than just a drop off in numbers, it also seems to be a change in mindset. If you look at basic six hitting numbers, Pant has gone from hitting a six every 14 balls in 2018 & 19, to every 31.5 since the start of 2020. Nevertheless there isn’t really any other options for the highest price point and I’d look to stick with Pant for another cycle.
Prithvi Shaw (12 cr) - This could be controversial because Shaw is generally seen as quite an ‘inconsistent’ player. He might not be the perfectly technical top order player that India have often strived to create but what he is, is a batter that looks to exploit powerplay’s more than others:
Shaw was the fastest scoring in powerplay’s this season by almost 30 runs per 100 balls, such a skillset is extremely valuable, particularly when said player is yet to turn 22.
Anrich Nortje (8 cr) - Based on how reluctant they were to play him earlier this season, I have doubts over whether this’ll happen, they may show ‘loyalty’ to other players ahead of him, which would be a huge mistake. Nortje is a much improved bowler and I think this is simply as a result of gaining more experience in the format. Since the start of 2020, Nortje has played 37 t20 matches, which accounts for nearly 60% of his total career t20 matches. His 2021 so far has been phenomenal, taking 23 wickets in 17 matches at an economy rate of 6.16 rpo, as well as being one of the fastest bowlers in the world, he’s becoming a skilled bowler who can take wickets in any phase.
Avesh Khan (uncapped/4 cr) - Whether or not they can get him at uncapped price, I’m not so sure. You’d have to think he’d still be their main option as a fourth retention, even if they had to stretch to 6 cr. Avesh had a breakthrough season in 2021, taking 24 wickets and showing ability to bowl in all phases.
Kolkata Knight Riders
Retention options: Shubman Gill, Dinesh Karthik, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins & Lockie Ferguson.
Uncapped options: Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi & Shivam Mavi.
My picks:
Andre Russell (16 cr) - A few seem to be starting to doubt the best and probably the best ever six hitter t20 cricket will ever see. I think it’s too early in his career to do that, while he hasn’t been at his best over the past 12–18 months and fitness concerns are valid. However a likely return to Eden Gardens next season, a venue where his record is outrageously impressive sways it for me. From 2015–2019, Dre struck at 205, while averaging over 40 in his matches at Eden Gardens. If he evens gets close to that level, added with his bowling for a couple of overs per game, you’re looking at a player worth in excess of 15 cr.
Sunil Narine (12 cr) - Previously I wouldn’t have seen Narine at 12 cr as a guarantee, however as you’ll see from my third and fourth picks, the combination forces me to mix it up. Originally I was definitely expecting Chakravarthy as one of my picks but the rule change allowing two uncapped retentions changes things.
Narine is still a genius with the ball, you don’t need to look any further than his record this year to tell you that; 35 wickets, at a strike rate of 20, with an economy of under 6, across three relatively strong competitions. Of course some of these games were played on poor pitches, so I’d expect a bit of a drop off, nevertheless I’d still be retaining. His batting is also a reason for that, even though it doesn't have the impact it once did, he’s capable of valuable cameo’s and is easy to fit in, as long as you aren’t relying on him as one of your main 6 batters.
Venkatesh Iyer (4 cr) - 2021 was firstly a breakthrough year in the Syed Musthaq Ali for Iyer, where he scored 227 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 150. It didn’t earn him a shot in the IPL straightaway, but when KKR decided to change their balance for the UAE leg, he got his chance and took it emphatically. Managing to score 370 runs in nine innings, at a strike rate of 130, on what were typically difficult decks, wtih KKR playing four or five of those games at Sharjah.
I don’t think his bowling is amazing, a nice option to have for 1–2 overs per game though.
Rahul Tripathi (4 cr) - Tripathi is what’s known as an ‘intent merchant’ for many regularly t20 watchers. A player that plays for the team, not his individual stats and looks to attack from ball one. What he may lack in quality, in comparison to others, he makes up with his mindset and approach towards t20’s. Tripathi had a strong 2021 IPL and found a role that suited him at number three, averaging 30 and striking at 142 across his 13 innings there. A worthwhile retention if they can get him at 4cr.
Mumbai Indians
Retention options: Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya & Jasprit Bumrah.
Uncapped options: No one
My picks:
I should preface this by saying I wouldn’t retain Rohit, I know this is extremely unlikely to happen but I think Mumbai have better options and players with more unique skillsets that they should prioritise retaining ahead of Rohit. Added to that his returns as an individual haven’t been good enough, despite the success of the franchise, Rohit has struggled to make a significant with his own performances. Of the openers to face at least 500 balls in the IPL since 2018, Rohit has the second lowest average and third lowest strike rate:
As well as this, you’ve got his poor numbers against the ball turning away, meaning post PP slowdowns are always likely to be a thing. A great player in other formats but his impact in t20’s has slowly declined.
Jasprit Bumrah (16 cr) - Anything less than top pick would be a disservice to Bumrah, he’s the go to Indian bowler in t20 cricket. You can give him the ball in any situation and he’d do a job, he specialises at the death though and he’s been so consistent over a long period of time, in role that’s very volatile:
Bumrah is in a league of his own, in terms of economy rate, particularly amongst the guys that have played regularly in all four seasons since 2018. He’s also in the ideal top left hand corner when it comes to dot ball percentage vs boundary percentage conceded at the death. A phenomenal bowler.
Hardik Pandya (12 cr) - It’s a very close call between Pandya and Pollard as 2nd pick. In the argument for Pandya, you’ve got the fact he’s almost seven years younger and is a better bowling option, where as for Pollard he’s performing at a far higher level than Pandya with the bat at the moment. It could go either way but I’d definitely look to retain both.
Kieron Pollard (8 cr) - If Rohit were to leave, he’d be the obvious choice as captain and based on his career trophy cabinet as a player, it wouldn’t be a bad option. Pollard the player, is still doing the business, with a death overs strike rate of over 220 since the start of 2020. He also has an outrageously good record against SLA/leg spin in that same time frame; averaging 45 and striking at over 160. More versatile than a lot of people give him credit for. Only reason I have him in the 8cr band is because of his age.
Ishan Kishan (6 cr) - Again I have my doubts if both MI and the player would take this route. Based on how they’ve treated Kishan in the past, often dropping him when the team has been doing badly, which obviously hasn’t just been solely down to him. Kishan may sense the opportunity of earning more at an auction and he’s got plenty on his resume; can bat anywhere in the top four, age on his side at 23 (already over 50 IPL caps though), can keep if needed, strong against his spin match up (strikes at over 150) & is good at exploiting powerplay’s if needed. All of this means he would likely get 8+ cr at auction in my opinion. It’ll be down to him if he wants to stay at Mumbai.
Punjab Kings
Retention options: KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Mohammed Shami & Nicholas Pooran.
Uncapped options: Ravi Bishnoi, Arsdheep Singh, Sharukh Khan & Ishan Porel.
My picks:
Rumours are circulating that KL Rahul wants to leave Punajb Kings, this makes it difficult to assess how they should go about their retentions. They’re in a bit of a mess if they can’t convince KL Rahul to stay. This is because I’m not sure any of their other players are worth 10+ Cr, maybe Agarwal, even then that’s a lot of money for an Indian top order player that’s the wrong side of 30.
If they can convince KL to stay my picks would be him, Agarwal, Pooran and Bishnoi. If not, then I’d be tempted to completely reset and only pick two uncapped options from the list above.
Ravi Bishnoi (uncapped/4cr) - If they can somehow get Bishnoi at 4cr then they’ve worked miracles, a spinner that’s likely to be in high demand and you’d think would comfortably get more than 4cr if he entered himself into the auction. After being weirdly treated in the India leg of IPL 2021, Bishnoi eventually got a run in the side during the UAE leg and he performed very well. Finishing the season with 12 wickets, at a strike rate of 18, with an economy of 6.4 rpo, he also proved very difficult to hit for boundaries, only conceding a boundary with 11% of his deliveries. He’s a must for Punjab, no matter what combination they decide to go down with other picks.
Arshdeep Singh (uncapped/4cr) - I’m hesitant as to how good Arshdeep is but he’d probably be worth a retention at 4 cr. So far, Arshdeep has shown he’s a wicket taking bowler in multiple phases, even if he has been a little expensive at times. A good powerplay bowler, that also gives you a left arm angle is worth taking a gamble on.
Another option is Sharukh Khan, his skillset is fairly unique amongst Indian batters and he’s impressed as a low order pace hitter in the SMA & TNPL, though he hasn’t exactly translated that to IPL level yet.
Rajasthan Royals
Retention options: Sanju Samson, Chetan Sakariya, Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes & Jos Buttler.
Uncapped options: Kartik Tyagi, Yashasvi Jaiswal & Riyan Parag.
My picks:
Jofra Archer (16 cr) - I think Archer has done enough to earn the highest paid pick, my only concern would be his fitness, now he’s had a couple of setbacks in his bid to become fully fit again. Archer is obviously a great bowler, as well as that he also offers some valuable lower order hitting. How good is his bowling? I think this often slides under the radar, particularly as a powerplay bowler:
This gives a perspective of how bonkers his numbers in powerplay’s have been at IPL level, no one has got close to him for the best part of 8 years, well at least bowlers that have bowled a decent amount across a season. It wasn’t a fluke either, as his economy rate in 2019 was also under 5rpo but only bowled 16 overs this time around. Jofra is probably the best t20 powerplay bowler in the world, as well as being above average during death overs and provides lower order hitting. All of this makes him one of the most desirable t20 players.
Sanju Samson (12 cr) - Sanju has been one of my favourite t20 players for a while and I think he deserves more consistent chances for India. His IPL record speaks for itself, averaging in the mid 30’s, while striking at 144 across the last four seasons. He doesn't really have any obvious weaknesses as a player, averaging over 30 against every bowling type he’s faced (with 100+ ball sample size). The bowling type he scores slowest against currently is actually off spin (122), though that’s only a 118 ball sample size so I’m not sure we should read too much into that. Against every other bowling type he strikes at 130 or higher and is particularly excellent against SLA bowling, averaging 42 and striking at 155. An all-round high quality player, at peak age, a must as a retention for Rajasthan.
Jos Buttler - I’ll refer back to the graph I used to show how poor Rohit has been, to highlight how good Buttler has been as an IPL opener:
Buttler is the closest player to the ideal top right hand corner, with no one striking at a better rate and only a few guys averaging more. Opening also seems to bring out the best in his game against spin:
I’m not exactly sure why this is but it’s a considerable difference and one that’s worth noting. Maybe it’s as a result of having time to ‘get set’ before facing spin. Like Samson, Buttler doesn’t really have any obvious weaknesses, his one potential weakness is probably leg spin; averaging in the low 20’s, though he also strikes at 140 and is perfectly capable of taking down leg spin if he needs to.
Another lock as a retention for Rajasthan in my opinion and if they need to they should pay more than 8cr to get Buttler, even if they had to spend 10–12 cr, it would still be worth it.
Kartik Tyagi (uncapped/4 cr) - This is a close call between Tyagi & Jaiswal, however based on other retentions I think Tyagi is probably the best option. Given the fact Samson & Buttler are likely to be retained and that’s already 40% plus of the team’s deliveries locked in at above average strike rates, I think getting another bowler in, which is an area Rajasthan have typically struggled in is more important.
Tyagi hasn’t quite lived up to his potential yet, though he’s shown glimpses, like in that superb final over against Punajb Kings, that won Rajasthan the game. His overall IPL record so far is fairly poor; 13 wickets at a strike rate of 24 and an economy of over 9 rpo. However he has raw ingredients to make a great future t20 bowler and I think he’s worth investing in.
A quick word on Jaiswal, who really impressed me in the UAE leg of this season. He played with great intent, striking at over 150 and with a boundary percentage of over 25%. Currently he does look to have a weakness against high pace but he’d certainly be someone I’d look to get back at auction.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Retention options: Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Glenn Maxwell, Devdutt Padikkal, Mohammed Siraj & Washington Sundar.
Uncapped options: Harshal Patel
Virat Kohli (16 cr) - Obviously another player I wouldn’t retain at such a high price but it’s likely to happen anyway. I genuinely hope Kohli gets back to his best, it’s sad to see his t20 career end so timidly if he can’t find a way to improve performances. A return to India and the Chinaswamy may help him do that as he has clearly struggled in the UAE. His stats in the last two seasons were fairly dreadful; striking at 120 with a boundary percentage of UNDER 12%! Incredibly his boundary percentage against spin in this period is under 7.5%, which is clearly a massive issue. He would often start relatively well in powerplay’s, slowdowns during the 7–11 overs phase were almost every game though, striking at 95 in this phase. RCB’s best option, if they’re going to retain Kohli (which they will) would be to open with him and absolutely load the team with spin hitters around him and not just Maxwell.
Like I said earlier, returning to the Chinaswamy should help Kohli. From 2015–19, his record there was very strong; averaging over 40 and striking at 150 and the impact spin has there is generally far less than most grounds in India.
Glenn Maxwell (12 cr) - His 2021 IPL season was one of the best we’ve seen and it was a great comeback after a shocking season for Punjab Kings in 2020. It’s a season that’s likely to earn Maxi big bucks, if RCB don’t offer him that, he could easily turn them down. Entering the auction would likely earn him a lot of money, with recency bias always common at these IPL auctions. It’s not just the batting you get from Maxi, he’s also a underrated match up bowler and having that ability from one of your frontline batters really helps balance a side.
Mohammed Siraj (8 cr) - Siraj was typically a below average bowler in t20’s up until recently. Below average is fairly kind, his record up until the start of IPL 2020 was poor to say the least:
His improvement seems to be across the board and not just in t20’s, he has also broken into the India test team and has started fairly well. The general consensus was that his 2021 IPL season was very unlucky. Despite that, he was one of the best pace bowlers in the competition:
Siraj was the second most economical pace bowler in the competition, despite bowling the highest % of overs in crucial phases. His strike rate wasn’t ideal, however you’d have to think that was mainly down to bad luck.
There’s also this graph, which shows how pace bowlers did in both powerplay’s and at the death, in terms of economy rate:
I think this really highlights how impressive Siraj was, he’s even closer to the ideal bottom left hand corner than Bumrah. Incredible versatility shown and a India t20 call up can’t be far away.
Harshal Patel (uncapped 4cr) - There are many options for their fourth retention spot; Harshal Patel, Padikkal, Sundar & Chahal. I’ve chosen Harshal Patel, not only because they can get him in cheaper but also I think he has untapped potential with the bat. His bowling in the most recent IPL season was obviously very impressive, taking 32 wickets in 15 games, while he was over performing; it’s highly unlikely that Harshal Patel is the best wicket taker t20 cricket has ever seen… He did seem to have developed some new skills, his slower balls in particular were causing batters all sorts of problems.
In terms of his batting, he could be used as a PP pinch hitter, not as an opener but someone that comes in if a wicket is lost early in a powerplay. His stats in his last two SMA seasons have seen him score 520 runs in 17 innings at a strike rate of 165, he seems wasted coming in at 8/9.
Obviously I’m currently not retaining ABD, that’s because I’m unsure of how many years he wants to play at the highest level for and if IPL is the only competition he plays every year, it’ll be tricky to maintain his high standards. In reality, RCB are very likely to retain him anyway, possibly in place of Maxwell, more likely Harshal Patel/Siraj, which would leave them with a lot of work to do at auction from a bowling perspective.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Retention options: Rashid Khan, Jonny Bairstow, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Natarjan & Kane Williamson.
Uncapped options: Abdul Samad, Umran Malik & Abhishek Sharma.
My picks:
Rashid Khan (16 cr) - This one is about as guaranteed as they come, as long as Rashid himself wants to stay with the franchise. Rashid would probably be first pick for any t20 side in the world and it isn’t just for on-field reasons. As a spinner you can basically guarantee that he’ll be able to spend more time on the field than most other players. This is evident with two main stats; since 2018, Rashid Khan has bowled almost 100 overs more in major t20 leagues than anyone else and also that he’s currently 43rd on a list of most t20 appearances of all time, at the age of 23. An incredible stat and of the 42 players with more appearances, the next youngest is Jos Buttler (31).
Of course, his cricketing ability speaks for itself; the most economical bowler in t20’s since 2018 (of bowlers with a decent sample size), plus a batting boundary percentage of nearly 20%, he’s simply a must for SRH. I’d even stretch to 18–20 cr, if I had to, to make sure I get him.
Abdul Samad (uncapped/4cr) - It’s true that he hasn’t quite lived up potential but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t continue to be backed. After all it’s very difficult when you’re one of the only capable six hitters in a side, there’s a lot of pressure on you to deliver. Samad has almost been used exclusively as a ‘finsher’ thus far in his career, batting at five or below in all but two of his IPL innings. I don’t really agree with this as it hasn’t really given him any time to adapt to different situation, essentially he’s just been shoved in and expected to hit boundaries from ball, which is a difficult skill in any case, let alone for a player that’s only just turned 20. His qualities are clear and it isn’t often you come across a player that strikes at above 110 in all three formats, it would be a huge mistake to let him go.
Umran Malik (uncapped/4cr) - This is obviously a lot of recency bias and I don’t know a huge amount about him as a bowler, other than seeing the three matches he played for SRH at the back end of the IPL. Based on raw ball speed alone (Malik was regularly bowling high 140's/low 150’s) I’d be willing to take a gamble on him.
That concludes this article. To summarise, I believe Mumbai, Delhi, KKR and RCB have the strongest options when it comes to retentions. Each of these sides have 5–6 or more players you’d be perfectly happy retaining. While Rajasthan have three players that they definitely need to retain, they might be forced to spend more than the allocated money in each price band to do so.
For the other sides it’s more about making sure they don’t make any glaring mistakes that could completely hinder team construction or their ability to make required signings at auction.
Thanks for reading!
Stats: cricmetric
