In the pulsating realm of the Indian Premier League (IPL), player transfers and releases often dictate the league’s narrative. However, amidst the anticipation and speculation, some decisions stand out for their sheer unexpectedness. From star players abruptly departing their franchises to seasoned campaigners facing surprising releases, the IPL has witnessed its fair share of eyebrow-raising roster moves. Take us a look at the top five most unexpected player releases in the history of the IPL, unraveling the stories behind these startling decisions.
Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya was a successful captain for Gujarat Titans (GT) in two seasons of IPL. When GT traded him with Mumbai Indians, all fans and the cricket world were surprised by the move. Pandya will now lead MI in the upcoming IPL season.
Yuzvendra Chahal
Chahal was a key bowler for Royal Challengers Bangalore but it came as a shock when he was released by the franchises ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction. Chahal was signed by Rajasthan Royals in the mega Auction.
David Warner
The southpaw was signed by the DD team for INR 14–15 lakh. His time with the Delhi squad, however, ended up being much longer as Warner remained with the team for five IPL seasons in a row by the time the 2014 season began. Additionally, Warner had an outstanding season in the 2013 Indian Premier League, scoring over 400 runs at an average of over 31.
However, the DD team had left David Warner at the 2014 big auction, and David Warner went on to have an incredible career with the SRH franchise.
AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers began his IPL career with the DD franchise. The cricket player was paid INR 1.2 crore in the first season. ABD had featured in 28 games throughout three seasons, scoring 671 runs overall, with an outstanding average of more than 50 in the 2009 edition.
However, De Villiers left the team before the 2011 mega auction. And the rest is history: the RCB team acquired him right away for more than INR 5 crores. He was one of the most impactful players in IPL.
KL Rahul
At a base salary of INR 10 Lakh, KL Rahul began his IPL career in 2013 with Bangalore. But in 2014, the SRH team acquired the opener for INR 1 crore. KL Rahul returned to RCB in 2016 where he gave few match winning performances but he was released by the team in IPL 2018 Mega Auction. KL Rahul now leads Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
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