Several big-name players were released by Indian Premier League franchises as they announced their list of retained players ahead of the 2021 edition.
With most teams having a solid playing XI, the focus is on the bench strength and teams have realised that overspending in that area is not ideal. They ideally want players who can come in at crucial times and make a difference if needed.
Some buy backs may still happen and not all teams have reached the minimum spending requirement. So it will still be an interesting auction.
Australian batsman Steve Smith was the biggest name to be axed as Rajasthan Royals chose the English trio of Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer over him, handing the captaincy to Sanju Samson.
Mumbai Indians also parted ways with long-term servant Lasith Malinga, who announced his retirement from franchise cricket, while Kedar Jadhav’s journey with Chennai Super Kings came to an end.
Glenn Maxwell, who was in scintillating form during India’s…