The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the most lucrative domestic T20 league in the world, with top-notch cricketers and big-money deals. The captaincy role is vital, and teams rely on their skippers to lead the side on the field and off it. However, some franchises opt for a major rethink when their teams fail to perform up to expectations. In this article, we highlight three IPL captains who were released by their franchises before an auction, and how their departure affected the team’s fortunes.
Here are three instances of IPL captains who were released by their franchise before an auction:
1) Adam Gilchrist (IPL 2009-2010: Deccan Chargers)
Despite leading Deccan Chargers to victory in the 2009 IPL, Gilchrist was released after the 2010 season. The Chargers struggled under Kumar Sangakkara and Cameron White in the following years, while Gilchrist went on to captain Kings XI Punjab for three seasons before retiring from all cricket in 2013.
2) Gautam Gambhir (IPL 2011-2017: Kolkata Knight Riders)
Gambhir had a successful run as captain of Kolkata Knight Riders, leading them to playoffs after three poor seasons and to two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014. However, he was released by the franchise in 2017 and later retired from playing in 2018 after a disappointing season with Delhi.
Also Read: About the Net Worth of Gautam Gambhir
3) Steve Smith (IPL 2014-2020: Rajasthan Royals)
Smith has a good captaincy record on paper but was released by Rajasthan Royals after a poor IPL 2020. While he led Rising Pune Supergiant to the finals in 2017, he couldn’t replicate that success with the Royals, who last qualified for the playoffs under Ajinkya Rahane in 2018. The franchise has named Sanju Samson as their new skipper, while Smith is expected to attract big bids at the auction.