Delhi Capitals have made the decision to retain their opening batter Prithvi Shaw despite his ongoing recovery from a knee injury sustained during his county cricket stint. On the other hand, Kolkata Knight Riders have chosen to release the out-of-form all-rounder Shardul Thakur, freeing up a substantial purse amounting to Rs 10.75 crore.
Earlier, Sarfaraz Khan and Manish Pandey, deemed incompatible with the demands of top-tier T20 tournaments like the IPL, were released. However, there is a notable show of confidence in Prithvi Shaw from Delhi Capitals' head coach Ricky Follow the Sports Tak channel on WhatsApp
Ponting and team director Sourav Ganguly. They anticipate the talented opener's return to fitness before the commencement of the IPL in late March next year.
With the introduction of the Impact Player rule, Shardul Thakur's utility in the IPL landscape appears to be diminishing. His bowling and batting prowess may not be potent enough to secure a spot among the top six players. This decision by KKR to release Shardul opens up significant financial resources, with Rs 10.75 crore and an additional Rs 5 crore, providing them ample funds to acquire impactful talent from the market.
In other IPL developments, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad have engaged in a trade involving left-arm spin bowling all-rounders Shahbaz Ahmed and Mayank Dagar. Meanwhile, England's Joe Root, who featured in only one IPL game for Rajasthan Royals last season, has opted out of the upcoming edition, prioritizing his Test commitments.
In a statement released on Sunday, the IPL announced the trade of Shahbaz. With 39 IPL matches under his belt, he has 14 wickets in the tournament, boasting a best bowling performance of 3/7. Having been part of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) since 2020, Shahbaz is now traded to SRH while maintaining his existing contract terms.
He was reacquired by the Bengaluru franchise in the previous mega auction for Rs 2.4 crore after a heated bidding battle with Kolkata Knight Riders.
On the other side of the trade, Mayank Dagar is set to join RCB from SRH at his current contractual terms. The right-handed all-rounder has also previously played for Kings XI Punjab, now known as Punjab Kings. In the 2023 IPL season, Mayank Dagar participated in three games, contributing with one wicket.
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