Mega Auction for the 2022 IPL season is round the corner. With two new teams added to the IPL roster ahead of the new season. The Lucknow franchise was bought by RPSG Ventures Ltd., while the Ahmedabad outfit found its buyer in Irelia Company Pte Ltd. In this article, we take a look at four players Delhi Capitals might retain ahead of the IPL 2022 auction.
The retention criteria for the upcoming season have changed. The existing franchises can have a maximum of four players retained. The domestic player retention cap is three, whereas a maximum of two overseas players can be retained. The salary caps have also been disclosed by the BCCI, and it will be interesting as to how many players will be retained by each franchise.
1. Avesh Khan
A maximum of two uncapped players can be retained by any IPL Franchise ahead of the upcoming season. Avesh Khan was one of the best bowlers in the 2021 IPL. Second, on the leading-wicket-taker chart, Delhi will be looking to retain his services for a long time to come. Avesh is just 24 years old and has a lot of potential. However, there is a huge improvement in his bowling, which is backed by the statistics. He hasn’t played much in the IPL before the 2021 season.
However, his economy was averaged above 10 runs per over, in the 8 matches that he played from 2018 to 2020. In 2021, his economy was below 7.5, which is commendable for a bowler who bowls both in the powerplay and at the death. He can swing the ball both ways, and also bowls a couple of variations that can deceive the batsman.
2. Anrich Nortje
Anrich Nortje has been the premium overseas bowler for the franchise over the past couple of years. His numbers speak for himself. He has picked up 34 wickets in 24 games at an economy of over 7.5. Even though Rabada picked up more wickets, Nortje was the X-Factor of the Delhi bowling unit. Nortje has been consistent with his line and length, making it tougher for the batsman to hit boundaries. He has a number of variations and regularly bowls at around 150 kph.
3. Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant could be one of the players to be retained by the Delhi Capitals before the 2022 Mega Auction. Apart from captaining the side to two consecutive top 4 finishes, Rishabh has shown his maturity in his batting too. One of the mainstays of the Indian National Team, Pant is still very young and has a lot of potential.
He has been scoring runs at an average above 30 for four seasons straight. Consistency and reliability are two essential attributes that are looked at before making the retention call. Pant is a utility player, as he is also the man behind the stumps.
4. Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan gives a team the much-needed explosion up top. He has been the leader of the batting unit and has performed at the highest levels, season after season. He was the fourth-highest run-scorer in the 2021 season, with 587 runs. Dhawan has loads of experience, and his performances make him worth every penny.
An interesting stat about Dhawan is that he has remained “not-out” for at least once, every season since 2011. This shows a different aspect of his game. Dhawan is highly reliable and can anchor the innings if needed. This is why Delhi Capitals could retain Shikhar ahead of the 2022 mega auction.
