The 15th season of the Indian Premier League, the IPL 2022, is almost certain to have 10 clubs, and the competition will be preceded by a super auction. Unlike last year, when just eight teams competed, the 10-team event will have certain new Auction rules to ensure that the new entries are treated fairly.
While rumours have circulated that the IPL 2022 Mega Auction will allow for four retentions, with a maximum of three Indians plus one Overseas or two Indians plus two Overseas, nothing has been confirmed. The BCCI is also yet to make any announcements regarding the Retention purse and Purse Deductions for each side.
Whatever the rules are, one thing is certain: no more than three capped Indian players will be retained, and no more than two abroad players will be retained. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the IPL 2022 Mega Auction’s probable player retention.
Again, these are merely projections based on player performance over the last three years, and they could vary depending on how players perform in the remaining IPL 2021 matches. So, let’s take a look at the IPL 2022 Auction’s forecasted player retention list preferences for each side.
1. Chennai Super Kings
Predicted: MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran & Faf du Plessis
The most important choice that Chennai Super Kings will have to make is whether MS Dhoni would continue to play in the IPL beyond 2022 or retire. As of today, there is no solution to this issue, but it will be determined by how Chennai Super Kings perform in the remaining games of the IPL 2021.
MS Dhoni has been CSK’s most valuable player throughout their history. Whether it’s captaincy, batting, or wicket-keeping, the 3-in-1 combination has usually produced positive outcomes. So, if MS Dhoni decides to participate in the IPL in 2022, he will undoubtedly be the first-choice player.
With the exception of MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, the all-rounder pair of Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran are most likely to be retained. While Ravindra Jadeja is now Team India’s top all-rounder, Sam Curran will be viewed as a long-term prospect. Aside from these three, if the rules allow, CSK should keep Faf du Plessis, who has also been outstanding for CSK and can play for another 2-3 years.
2. Delhi Capitals
Predicted: Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Shikhar Dhawan & Kagiso Rabada
Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant were retained by the Delhi Capitals ahead of the 2018 Mega Auction. Given the importance of these two players, Delhi will keep Rishabh Pant as the first-choice player, followed by Shreyas Iyer. Shikhar Dhawan has been their finest batsman in the last two years, barring these two. Even though Dhawan is 35 years old, he is still capable of playing for another 2-3 years and should be retained.
In the last two years, the Delhi Capitals have seen how beneficial Kagiso Rabada has been to them in the IPL. Rabada’s services will almost certainly not be released by the Delhi Capitals. If the rules allow, they should keep him for about INR 7 CR. Aside from these four, Delhi would have loved to keep Prithvi Shaw. He’s proven beneficial to them and could be a long-term prospect.
3. Kolkata Knight Riders
Predicted: Andre Russell
Tentative: Shubman Gill & Pat Cummins
The Kolkata Knight Riders team is full of superstars, but they haven’t put up a great show in the last two years. Morgan, Karthik, Narine, and Shakib are unlikely to be retained due to their poor performance and hefty cost.
Shubman Gill is a good bet to be kept, but it will be interesting to see what price he is kept at. KKR may be hesitant to invest INR 15 crore or 12.5 crore on Gill, who has just recently begun to establish a name for himself in the cricket world. KKR, on the other hand, would almost certainly keep Andre Russell.
The West Indian is one of the world’s most dangerous players, and if he went to auction, he’d garner a lot of attention. Aside from these two, Pat Cummins is another option for KKR. Cummins has been a standout for KKR, and he should be retained unless money is an issue.
4. Mumbai Indians (MI)
Predicted: Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah & Kieron Pollard
The Mumbai Indians will have a major problem ahead of the IPL Mega Auction in 2022. They have so many superstars in their rooster that if they had the choice, they would keep all of them. However, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah are the three major names who are most likely to be retained, as has been the case in the past.
The three has been MI’s MVPs over the years, and they should be kept in the IPL 2018 Mega Auction. While the Mumbai Indians would have preferred to keep Suryakumar Yadav, his destiny will be decided by the new retention criteria. SKY’s ability and performance in the last three years are undeniable, but between him and Hardik, the all-rounder should receive the nod.
With the exception of these two, the Mumbai Indians would have preferred to keep the quartet of Kieron Pollard, Trent Boult, and Rahul Chahar, but that would rely on the retention rule. If priority is to be determined, Kieron Pollard will be chosen first, followed by Trent Boult and Rahul Chahar.
5.Punjab Kings
Predicted: KL Rahul
Tentative: Mohammed Shami, Mayank Agarwal & Nicholas Pooran
KL Rahul, the current captain and PBKS’ Most Valuable Player, should be kept as the first choice. KL Rahul has been a standout performer for PBKS and should be kept in the top pricing band as well. However, the retention of three remaining players, Mohammed Shami, Mayank Agarwal, and Nicholas Pooran, might be intriguing.
None of their remaining players may be priced higher than 10 crore rupees, and if the original rule is followed, the second retained player will result in a purse deduction of INR 11 crore rupees. KL Rahul appears to be the only player PBKS might keep for IPL 2022, unless the regulations allow for personalised deductions.
6. Rajasthan Royals
Predicted: Jofra Archer,Ben Stokes
Tentative: Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler
The Rajasthan Royals may be the only team without any IPL 2022 retentions. With the exception of Jofra Archer, they don’t have any players who are going to be paid more than 10 million dollars. RR would be crazy to invest $15 million on Jofra Archer, Jos Buttler, or Sanju Samson.
Rajasthan Royals should keep skipper Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler, and Jofra Archer if preference is to be regarded. However, it will be greatly dependent on what the purse deduction for these three players would be. They should keep all three if the purse deduction is approximately $10 million. Ben Stokes is also a possibility, although the IPL does not allow for the retention of three overseas players.
7. Royal Chalangers Banglore
Predicted: Virat Kohli, Ab de Villiers, Devdutt Padikkal & Yuzvendra Chahal
Player retention is probably the easiest of all the teams. Virat Kohli would undoubtedly be retained by RCB in the top pricing range, followed by Ab de Villiers. According to the present guidelines, RCB will spend 7 CR on Devdutt Padikkal, who has performed admirably for them.
Yuzvendra Chahal, who has been a consistent performer for RCB throughout the years, can also be retained for the same fee. If the rule allows, RCB can also consider keeping Washington Sundar and Mohammed Siraj, with Siraj being the favoured option.
8. Sunraisers Hyderabad
Predicted: Rashid Khan, Kane Williamson & Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Tentative: David Warner, Manish Pandey & T Natarajan
David Warner and Rashid Khan would have been the first two names on the sheet for player retention if the IPL Mega Auction had taken place before IPL 2021. However, a weird series of incidents witnessed in IPL 2021 suggest that David Warner is no longer their star player, and that he is even struggling to make the playing 11.
So, at this point, Kane Williamson is the preferred option for SRH, and if given the choice, Kane and Rashid Khan should be maintained. Bhuvneshwar Kumar should be at the top of the Indian player retention list. T Natarajan and Manish Pandey are also viable possibilities if he is unavailable. However, their retention would be contingent on the regulations and costs in place.