IPL 2021 Auction: Released players who could find no takers
The eight franchises of the Indian Premier League announced their list of released players during the IPL 2021 Player Retention Day on Wednesday. Cricketers such as Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Nathan Coulter-Nile, and Sheldon Cottrell were released, alongside some notable Indian names. With the IPL 2021 Auction set to be held next month, we analyze the released players who could find no takers.
Glenn Maxwell's time at the IPL could be over
Kings XI Punjab splashed out a whopping Rs. 10.75 crore for Glenn Maxwell last season. KXIP brought back Maxwell, who in between represented the Delhi Capitals. Maxwell was out of sorts and managed 108 runs at 15.42, besides failing to hit a single six. Since scoring 552 runs in IPL 2014, Maxwell has been poor, amassing 145, 179, 310, 169, and 108 runs respectively.
Nathan Coulter-Nile could miss the bus in IPL 2021
Having been bought for Rs. 8 crore by eventual champions Mumbai Indians last season, Coulter-Nile was released this week. Coulter-Nile has a history of picking up injuries. He was limited to just seven games last season after missing the first few games with an injury. He also didn't play in the IPL 2018 and 2019 seasons. Despite taking 41 scalps, he might be overlooked.
Moeen Ali is unlikely to find a team
England all-rounder Moeen Ali, who made his IPL debut in 2018, didn't quite make an impact. He had a decent campaign in 2019, scoring 229 runs and claiming six scalps. However, he found limited opportunities last season as he took just one wicket and scored 12 runs from three games. With most teams sorted in their spin and all-round departments, Moeen could go unsold.
Kedar Jadhav's absence may not be felt
After a decent run in IPL 2017, where Kedar Jadhav scored 267 runs, Chennai Super Kings spent Rs. 7.8 crore on him in the 2018 Auction. After playing a match-winning knock in the opener, Jadhav was ruled out due to an injury. In 2019 and 2020, Jadhav managed just 162 and 62 runs respectively. His strike rate was below 100 as well.
Tom Banton may need to wait for a while
Kolkata Knight Riders released explosive England youngster Tom Banton, who failed to take his chances in his debut IPL season in 2020. In two matches, he scored just 18 runs with a strike rate of 90.00. The opener could find no takers given his lack of experience and also sides preferring a more settled approach upfront. Banton may need to wait for a while.
