IPL 2022 | Big names the franchises will look to replace in the IPL Auction 2022

It is almost time for the ultimate showdown, the ‘IPL Mega-Auction 2022’ where franchises will battle it out to strengthen their squads. The auction will feature some of the biggest names in world cricket and there's a lot at stake for the franchises while looking to build their team. Every franchise will have to replace their star players for different reasons. Some of these star players have retired, some are on the verge of retirement, others have left the franchise in search of greener pastures. 

Each of the 8 franchises and the player they are looking to replace.

Royal Challengers Bangalore

When it comes to replacing players, the most difficult task is to replace one of the greatest cricketers of all time. Trying to replace AB de Villiers is no joke, a man with the ability to play strokes all around, keep wickets if needed and pull off stunning catches in the field. The amount of experience and the craze he brought to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is something that very few can match. They will have to look for a replacement for ABD, but there are not many players who come close to his caliber as a result they might have to settle for average star players.

Possible Options

Matthew Wade: Wade had a stunning season as he was the hero in Australia's win over Pakistan in the semifinals of the T20 World Cup as the Aussie side went on to clinch their maiden in UAE last year. The left-handed stumper has been lighting up the scene in the Big Bash League (BBL) and could be a great replacement for Mr. 360. 

Marnus Labuschagne: Labuschagne has been one of the most dependable batters for the Australian national team in recent years. While he isn't the definition of a T20 batter, he is someone you can rely on to give you stability in the middle overs. Marnus can also put the pedal on the gas in the death overs and has displayed the ability over time in the BBL. He even gives you a few overs with the ball.

Nicholas Pooran: Pooran had a decent stint with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) but the player is now up for a new challenge. The West Indian can smash the bowlers all across the park and can also fill the void of a wicketkeeper-batter that the RCB are looking for. The flamboyant batter is still young and could give the franchise a lot with his ability with the bat and behind the stumps.

Dewald Brevis: Brevis may not be amongst the top names in the auction but he young South African is one of the biggest prospects for the upcoming years. He was the top scorer in the ICC U19 World Cup scoring over 500 runs. His teammates call him ‘Baby AB’ and what better place for the youngster to start his career other than the RCB. 

Punjab Kings

KL Rahul 

Lokesh Rahul has been the star man and skipper at PBKS for the last few seasons. But now it is time they look for a replacement as Rahul has joined Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The Karnataka stalwart has been the most consistent and explosive opener in the IPL since 2019 and replacing him is not going to be easy.    

Possible Options

David Warner: Warner is perhaps one of the biggest names in the Mega-Auction this year and is someone most of the franchises will look to secure into their ranks. The Kings will look to fill the void left after Rahul's departure and Warner perfectly fits the bill, giving his team the start in the Powerplay and can also act as a supporting leader for the franchise.

Devdutt Padikkal: DDP had an impressive stint with the Royal Challengers but will be a little disappointed after being left out from the list of retained players. The young opener from Karnataka is great with the bat facing the new ball and can hit the bowlers all round the park whenever the opportunity arises.

Shikhar Dhawan: The experienced left hander is one of the best openers in the history of IPL. He has been consistent for the majority of his career for his franchises over time and is one of the most viable options that the PBKS can turn towards, looking to replace Rahul.

Ishan Kishan: Kishan had a great run with Mumbai Indians (MI) but failed to make the cut in the retention list as the five-time champions were spoiled for choices. While Mumbai will look to retain the youngster back in the auctions, the franchise could see other teams bid for the players as well. The Jharkhand cricketer is someone who can score big runs with a staggering strike rate and is a great replacement for Rahul at the top order for the Mohali-based franchise. 

Mumbai Indians

Hardik Pandya wasn't retained by MI and it came as a surprise to many. The major reason for him not being retained was due to his injury concerns. The Indian all-rounder has hardly bowled in the last two seasons of the IPL. As a result, the decision did seem logical. Hardik has been signed up by the new franchise Gujarat Titans as their captain for the upcoming season. Now Mumbai has the uphill task of replacing one of the best Indian all-rounders, with practically not many options available in the market.

Possible Options

Jason Holder: The West Indian has been one of the most consistent all-rounders for the Caribbeans in the last five years. Holder is great in the death overs with the bat and has the ability to pick up wickets when required. The player has also helped his team out of precarious positions with the bat and could be a great addition for the Ambani-owned franchise.

Rajvardhan Hangargekar: This youngster had a great outing for the Blue Colts in the latest edition of the ICC U19 World Cup in the West Indies. Hangargekar is good with the new ball and can notch up to 140kmph with the ball which is something that has turned the eyes of every Indian fan towards the players. The player can also smash the bowlers across the park down the order and is one of the biggest prospects in the Mega-Auction this year. Under the mentorship of Kieron Pollard he can surely develop into something special.

Mitchell Marsh: Mitch Marsh was the man of the hour for the Australian national team as they went on to win their maiden ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Marsh has the ability to score big runs in the middle and death overs with a staggering strike rate and will be one of the hottest names in the Mega Auction this year.

Sunrisers Hyderabad

David Warner has been one of the best overseas players in the IPL for a long while. He led SRH to their maiden IPL title in 2016 and has also won the orange cap multiple times. It is almost certain that he won't return to SRH and replacing him is not going to be an easy task for the franchise.

Possible Options

Shikhar Dhawan: There is a high possibility that Sunrisers might look to bring back Dhawan to replace Warner. He might not be as explosive but he is someone who they can rely on. Dhawan was a part of the Sunrisers prior to his stint with Delhi Capitals and he surely can fill those big boots.

Ben McDermott: One of the deadliest openers in the BBL is all set to make his much awaited entry into the IPL with the mega-auction. The Australian opener scored back to back hundreds in the recently concluded BBL edition. A hard hitting opener pretty much similar to what Warner does, his keeping makes him a great option for SRH. 

Faf du Plessis: While SRH might have Kane Williamson as their skipper they won't mind adding another member to the think tank in Faf. He has been very consistent over the years and has an ability to open the innings as well as bat in the middle order.

Chennai Super Kings

Suresh Raina has been one of the most consistent players in the Indian Premier League for years. He has consistently performed for CSK and they have relied on him at the number 3 spot. At this point in time, they have Moeen Ali to bat at number 3 who is in sublime form. Now, they need to focus on replacing DJ Bravo who is a part of the auction but is towards the end of his career. He is one of the best death bowlers and a handy batter lower down in the order.

Possible Options

Jason Holder: Holder was a part of the Sunrisers camp in last year's edition of the tournament. He played a crucial role for them as a death bowler as well as someone who can tonk the ball lower down the order. He has proved himself over the years and might be the perfect replacement for DJ Bravo at Chennai.

Odean Smith: The West Indian has been one of the most versatile players in the domestic circuit for the last few years. He has the ability to bowl with an economical rate and can pick up wickets in crucial situations for his team. Over the time in his career he has also displayed the skill to smash bowlers over the park in precarious situations for his side.

Kolkata Knight Riders

KKR haven't really had the desired results in the last few seasons and a majority of it was due to an inconsistent middle order. Dinesh Karthik has been one of the dependable wicketkeeper-batters in the IPL. But with time it seems that age has finally caught up with the player. While the player can still produce some blistering knocks with the bat lower down in the middle order, the Knight Riders decided to part ways with the player before the Mega Auction this season.

Possible Options

KS Bharat: The 28-year-old wicket-keeper batter has played some crucial knocks for RCB in the last edition of the IPL. His wicket-keeping skills are top-notch and his ability in the middle order is something that got him into the star-studded RCB team. He has all the qualities needed to replace Dinesh Karthik at KKR in the long run.

Shahrukh Khan: Shahrukh Khan has been one of the most destructive finishers in the Indian domestic circuit for a while now. His heroics in the Syed Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare are known to all and as a result, KKR can look to him to solve their middle-order struggles. The Tamil Nadu-titan might not be a wicket-keeper but he still is a great option.

Dinesh Bana: The India U-19 wicket-keeper batter came into the limelight after taking India over the line with a maximum in the final of the ICC U-19 WC. He has the ability to tonk the ball and can also play responsibly if needed. He might not be a big name but he can surely be a long term option for KKR.

Rajasthan Royals

Ben Stokes announced that he will not be a part of the auction this time around and as a result, the Royals have a difficult task in hand of replacing one of the best all-rounders of this generation.Stokes might not have been that consistent in the IPL but he did help Rajasthan win a few encounters sporadically. With a complete package in England's marquee all-rounder, replacing him would not be an easy task.

Possible Options

Mitchell Marsh: Marsh is a perfect option to replace Stokes because he too can bat in the top order as well as the lower order. The manner in which he was smashing the bowlers all around the park in the T20 WC suggests that teams will go after him. The only concern is that he is not that effective with the ball but can surely give you a few overs.

Tim David: David’s recent performances in the BBL for the Hobart Hurricanes indicate that he is a great option with both bat and ball. Along with the ability to tonk the ball all around the park, the Singapore-international proved it in one of the toughest T20 leagues around the globe.

Liam Livingstone: Livingstone has been one of the best middle order batters in the shortest format of the game in the past few years. Livingstone has the power and ability to smash the bowlers all across the park and can even give the team a few overs with the ball when needed. Royals could look to replace Strokes with his English compatriot.

Delhi Capitals

Shreyas Iyer parted ways with DC after deciding to stick with Rishabh Pant as their skipper. He wanted a captaincy role and the record that he had as a captain for Delhi Capitals suggest that he was right in doing so. Delhi Capitals might have found their skipper but they still require a reliable middle-order batter to replace the Indian middle-order batter. Iyer’s record, while he was at Delhi, speaks highly about what he brought to the side and now it is time for them to find an alternative.

Possible Options

Suryakumar Yadav: SKY had an incredible stint with the Mumbai Indians, but the franchise were unable to retain the player with limited options. Suryakumar is one of the most dependable batters in the middle order and can score with a high strike rate in the middle and death overs.

Manish Pandey: Manish Pandey was a key part of both KKR and SRH. While the player had slowed down with time, there's no doubt about his class and temperament. Pandey can give any team the stability in the middle overs and score the big runs when needed.

Yash Dhull: The U19 Indian skipper had a great run in the Youth World Cup helping his side clinch the trophy. Dhull is a product from the Delhi Capitals Academy and it wouldn't be surprising at all if the franchise decides to get the player up to their main team. Dhull is a dependable orthodox batter and could be a great long term replacement for Shreyas Iyer.