5 Most Surprising Retentions Before A Mega-Auction In IPL History
Mega-Auction is an important event in the timeline of the Indian Premier League. Every team has to reset its squad before the mega-auctions, and these decisions could go on and decide the prospects of the franchise for the next three years. In this article, we take a look at the list of five most surprising retentions before a mega-auction in IPL history so far.
A few teams have taken debatable decisions before mega-auctions. Some of these choices have been questionable because the player retained might not be deserving of it or the cost at which they were retained was not going to help the team in the long run.
1) Shane Warne (Rajasthan Royals) - IPL 2011
The choice to keep hold of Shane Warne before IPL 2011 is one of the surprising retentions before a mega-auction in IPL history so far. Although Warne led the team to a trophy in 2008, at around 2011, the Aussie legend was 40 years old. Hence, he was anyways going to retire in a year or two, which he eventually did after IPL 2011. Hence, retaining him at an expensive rate was a debatable choice by the RR management. Moreover, he is a foreign cricketer and a leg-spinner, both the attributes that had replacement options at that point in time. Nevertheless, Warne signed off with a decent outing in IPL 20211.
2) Manan Vohra (Punjab Kings) - IPL 2014
Back in 2014, Punjab Kings pulled off a surprise by retaining Manan Vohra. The youngster had potential, but till then, he was yet to show it. David Miller was another cricketer who was retained by the franchise at that time. Eventually, the move did not come off as Vohra failed to realize the potential that he showed initially. Vohra played for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2021.
3) James Faulkner (Rajasthan Royals) - IPL 2014
James Faulkner was paid a whopping amount to be retained by Rajasthan Royals in 2014. Yes, Faulkner was doing well but many questioned if he warranted retention. The Aussie all-rounder did well for a few seasons but was not able to perform consistently. He has not been a part of the event for a few years now.
4) Sarfaraz Khan (Royal Challengers Bangalore) - IPL 2018
The retention of Sarfaraz Khan was one of the most shocking retentions before a mega-auction in IPL history. While Sarafraz himself was yet to showcase his full potential, the fact that RCB had other proven options was what led to many debates. There were cricketers such as KL Rahul, Yuzvendra Chahal and even Chris Gayle who could have been retained. Sarfaraz flopped that season and was later released back to the auctions.
5) Axar Patel (Punjab Kings) - IPL 2018
Before the 2018 mega-auctions, Punjab Kings retained Axar Patel. He was a consistently performing cricketer but was yet to reach the elite level. Yet, PBKS kept hold of the player. Considering there were plenty of other options in the market such as Krunal Pandya, it was surprising that the franchise retained Axar. They later released him, and the all-rounder made the move to Delhi Capitals.