Reigning IPL champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) announced it has retained 22 players for the 2019 season, releasing only three members from the title-winning squad. CSK, which returned to the IPL fold after serving a two-year suspension, won the 2018 tournament, beating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final. England fast bowler Mark Wood and uncapped Indian players Kanishk Seth and Kshitiz Sharma have been released.
Franchises were required to inform the IPL Governing Council by November 15 about their retentions and release of players for the 2019 player auction to be held next month. England all-rounder David Willey, who was picked as a replacement for the injured all-rounder Kedar Jadhav has been retained. Jadhav, who sustained an injury in the opening match and missed the rest of the tournament, also remains in the squad.
Wood featured only in one match while Sharma and Seth didn’t feature in any game. CSK had retained skipper M.S. Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja prior to the 2018 auction and also used the Right to Match card for Dwayne Bravo and Faf du Plessis. The team didn’t seek a replacement for New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner, who was injured and he would come back into the squad, according to CSK sources. CSK has a purse of Rs 8.5 crore (Rs 6.5 crore left from the last season and an additional Rs two crore made available to the players this season) heading into the auction.
Mumbai Indians have retained 18 players including their skipper Rohit Sharma but released some top international stars like J.P. Duminy and fast bowling duo of Pat Cummins and Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman ahead of the 2019 Indian Premier League players’ auction. The franchise has also released 10 players which include one capped, five uncapped and four international cricketers. All-rounder Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mayank Markande, Aditya Tare, Ishan Kisan, Rahul Chahar, Anukul Roy and Suryakumar Yadav have been retained by the three-time champions.
To maintain the mix of experience and youth, the franchise has also retained Kieron Pollard, Ben Cutting, destructive opener Evin Lewis and Kiwi pair of Mitchell McClenaghan and Adam Milne. The management has also backed Australia’s T20 specialist Jason Behrendorff after the left-arm quick was recalled to the national side to face the Proteas. Rohit—the most successful captain in IPL—will continue to lead the team next season. South Africa’s Duminy has been released along with Australian fast-bowler Cummins, who was ruled out before the start of IPL 2018. Rahman and Sri Lankan spinner Akila Dananjaya have also been let off by the franchise. Besides, Mumbai Indians have also released domestic players like Saurabh Tiwary, Pradeep Sangwan, Sharad Lumba, Tajinder Singh Dhillon, Mohsin Khan and Kerala’s M.D. Nidheesh.
Retained players:
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Krunal Pandya, Ishan Kishan (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Mayank Markande, Rahul Chahar, Anukul Roy, Siddhesh Lad, Aditya Tare, Quinton de Kock, Kieron Pollard, Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Adam Milne, Jason Behrendorff.
Released players
Saurabh Tiwary, Pradeep Sangwan, Mohsin Khan, MD Nidheesh, Sharad Lumba, Tajinder Singh Dhillon, JP Duminy, Pat Cummins, Mustafizur Rahman, Akila Dananjaya.
