IPL 2018: 5 potential Right to Match candidates to watch out for

The coverage for the next edition of the cash-rich league began with the announcement of the player retention lists by the respective franchises on Thursday. A total of 18 players were retained by the 8 teams participating in the 2018 edition. With the social media going crazy over the decisions of the franchises the focus now shifts on to the IPL Auction to be held on 27th and 28th January in Bengaluru.

While some retentions were obvious, there were some surprise retentions too, like that of Sarfaraz Khan by RCB and Ravindra Jadeja by CSK. Also, there were many big names who did not make it to the list, making them potential candidates to be retained by the respective teams through Right To Match cards at the auction.

The teams who have retained 3 players, now are left with 2 RTMs and those who have retained up to 2 players are left with 3 RTMs that can be used during the player auction.

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#1 Gautam Gambhir

Kolkata Knight Riders not retaining Gautam Gambhir has been one of the biggest surprises of the pre-auction retentions. Gambhir has been one of the mainstays of the Kolkata based franchise. After playing for Delhi Daredevils in the first three seasons, he was bought by KKR in the 2011 edition at a whopping price of $2.4 million. He was the most expensive players in the auction that year.

Gambhir paid his price back by captaining the team to two title wins in 2012 and 2014 respectively. He changed the fortunes of the KKR team which had failed to finish in the top half of the points table in the first three seasons.

In the seven seasons that he has played for KKR, he has scored 3035 runs in 138 matches. With the experience that he carries, he will be one of the most sought-after options in the auctions and KKR must look to snap him up using Right to Match card.

#2 Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal has been a key bowler of the Royal Challenger Bangalore team ever since they brought him in the 2014 auctions. Bought for the base price of Rs.10 lakh, he has been one of the biggest bargain-buys in the IPL.

Chahal used the stage very well to master his skills which earned him a national call-up. His wicket-taking ability is one of his biggest strengths and this makes him Virat Kohli's go-to bowler in critical situations, not only in IPL but in internationals too.

He has taken 70 wickets in the four seasons that he has played for RCB. Also, he finished as the 3rd highest wicket-taker in the 2015 edition and 2nd highest wicket-taker the following season of the IPL, falling just two wickets short of claiming the Purple Cap. RCB have definitely not retained him to save their purse, but they may look to retain him using RTM.

#3 Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan

Sunrisers Hyderabad leaving out Shikhar Dhawan has been another big surprise of the retentions. Dhawan is in the form of his life, especially in limited overs cricket. He has been consistent with the bat for India in ODIs and T20s.

Dhawan’s powerful hitting at the top along with David Warner has been crucial for SRH for getting head starts. In the IPL he has played 127 matches scoring 3561 runs at an average of 32.66. This puts him 8th on the list of all-time highest run scorers in the league.

He was one of the key players in the SRH title win in the 2016 edition where he scored 501 runs in 17 matches that included eight fifties. Leaving Dhawan out is a huge gamble Sunrisers Hyderabad have taken.

He has the potential to be sold for more than what he could have been retained by the SRH team.

#4 Dwayne Bravo

Dwayne Bravo

Dwayne Bravo, the West Indian all-rounder is one of the most impactful players to go into the auctions who failed to make the retention list. CSK should have preferred him over Ravindra Jadeja citing his performances in the recent past, especially in the ongoing Big Bash League.

In the BBL, playing for Melbourne Renegades, he has taken 11 wickets in just 4 matches and is placed second on the list of highest wicket-takers right behind Andrew Tye who is two wickets ahead.

Bravo has an impressive track record in the IPL. He has taken 122 wickets in the 106 matches that he has played and is placed 5th on the list of all-time highest wicket-takers. He is the only player along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar to win two Purple caps, having won it in 2013 and 2015, both the times playing for the CSK.

He is one of the most impactful death bowlers in T20s at present making him a hot option to look for at the auctions.

#5 David Miller

David Miller

David Miller has been a mainstay in the Kings XI Punjab's den ever since he was bought in 2012. Though he failed to deliver in the previous two seasons of the IPL, his recent form in T20s makes him a potential player that may go for a big price in the auctions.

In 2017, playing for South Africa in T20s, he scored 243 runs in 10 innings at a massive strike rate of 162.00. He also smashed the fastest T20 international ton, having scored it in just 35 balls against Bangladesh at home. Miller played a vital role in KXIP reaching the final of the league in the 2014 edition after the team finished on the top of the points table.

Millers' overall IPL stats speak volumes where he has scored 1563 runs in 66 matches at a strike rate of 141.44 and an average of 35.52, even after failing in the last two seasons. Interestingly he has remained not-out on 20 occasions of the 66 matches that he has played.

Retaining Miller through RTM may be a part of KXIP's strategy for saving their money which they should look to execute successfully.