All the eight franchises of the IPL went through the process of player retention ahead of the IPL 2021 auctions slated to be held in February later this year. Names like Steve Smith, Chris Morris, Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Finch were released by their respective franchisees while some surprising names were retained. Rajasthan Royals also announced Sanju Samson as their new captain for the next IPL season, while the other franchises are looking to overhaul here side as well.
Meanwhile, before releasing the schedule Chennai Super Kings had confirmed that they have retained star batsman Suresh Raina. Incidentally, Raina’s relationship with the franchise hit the rock bottom after the player pulled himself out of IPL 2020 despite travelling to the UAE. While it was widely reported that Raina might play for a different franchise but Super Kings have retained their highest run-getter while MS Dhoni will continue to lead.
Also Read: Full List of Retained Players Ahead of IPL 2021
Here is the complete list of releases players ahead of IPL 2021 auctions
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Aaron Finch, Chris Morris, Isuru Udana, Moeen Ali, Pawan Negi, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Shivam Dube, Dale Steyn, Parthiv Patel and Umesh Yadav
Rajasthan Royals
Steve Smith, Ankit Rajpoot, Oshane Thomas, Akash Singh, Varun Aaron, Tom Curran, Anirudha Joshi, Shashank Singh
Delhi Capitals
Mohit Sharma, Tushar Deshpande, Keemo Paul, Sandeep Lamichhane, Alex Carey, Jason Roy
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Sanjay Yadav, B Sandeep, Billy Stanlake, Fabian Allen, Yarra Prithviraj
Kings XI Punjab
Glenn Maxwell, Karun Nair, Hardus Viljoen, Jagadeesha Suchith, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Sheldon Cottrell, Jimmy Neesham, Krishnappa Gowtham, Tajinder Singh
Chennai Super Kings
Kedar Jadhav, Piyush Chawla, Murali Vijay, Monu Kumar, Harbhajan Singh, Shane Watson (retired)
Mumbai Indians
Lasith Malinga(retired), Mitch McClenaghan, James Pattinson, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Sherfane Rutherford, Prince Balwant Rai, Digvijay Deshmukh
Kolkata Knight Riders
Tom Banton, Chris Green, Nikhil Naik, Siddharth M and Siddhesh Lad
Also Read: IPL 2021 Auction: Five Players Who Can Grab The Spotlight