IPL, league that produces many players, but the IPL auction rules are such that retaining key players is always the most difficult job. As we have seen, many teams and franchises have faced difficulties in retaining their favorite players. There are many reasons for this, from players making themselves unavailable to financial aspects. However, some players have been assets to their respective teams and certainly serve as brand faces that management mostly doesn’t want to drop. These quality players have always been loyal to the franchises, and management has always backed them. So, who are three big names that franchises have never released? Let’s take a look at these masters.
Which players have never been released by their IPL teams?
Sachin Tendulkar
The first and probably the biggest name who never left the franchise is India’s master, Sachin Tendulkar. Loyal with the Mumbai Indians franchise since the IPL’s inception in 2008. He also captained the team, and under him, the team reached the final in 2010. He played 78 matches for MI and scored 2334 runs at an average of 33.83, with 1 century and 13 fifties. However, the icing on the cake came in the 2013 IPL, which was the last IPL edition for him, where he scored 287 runs in 14 games. More than all the stats, MI won their maiden IPL title, defeating CSK in the finals under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, which turned out to be a great farewell for Sachin Tendulkar. Even after retiring, Sachin served as a mentor for the camp as well.
MS Dhoni
Although initially he was not the first choice of CSK, but acquiring MS Dhoni was the biggest achievement of the CSK franchise. Dhoni has led the team to five IPL trophies, and due to him, CSK has one of the most famous and loyal fan bases today. Dhoni came into the team at the price of 6 crores, and until the 2023 IPL, he captained the team. However, there was a hiccup for CSK when the team was banned for two seasons in the 2016 and 2017 IPL. Still, after their reintroduction, CSK backed MS Dhoni and achieved the best results. The 2024 season is rumored to be his last, but after seeing the IPL 2025 mega auction policy, there are once again chances that we may see him play.
Virat Kohli
Now, speaking about the current run machine, Virat Kohli, who joined the RCB team in the first year of the IPL after showing heroics as a leader in the 2008 Under-19 World Cup. Since then, this former India captain has been the Bengaluru boy in the IPL. Kohli was appointed their captain in the 2013 season and led them until 2021 before handing the baton to Faf du Plessis. Under him, the team reached the finals of the 2016 IPL, and we must not forget he almost single-handedly took the team to the final in that edition due to his batting heroics. In 2022, he had a season that was not so good for him with the bat, but in the last two seasons, he once again showed why he has been valued by the team, scoring more than 500 runs. He is still an asset to the team.
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