Delhi Capitals (DC) only released five players before the IPL 2023 auction.
Twenty players are currently on the Capitals’ roster, and they have 19.45 crore in available funds. Because they have made some good decisions, they are in a great position to sign one or two big names to complete the playing XI.
The following three players were released by DC in time for the IPL 2023 auction.
#3 Tim Seifert
In only two IPL 2022 games for DC, Tim Seifert scored 24 runs at a strike rate of 126.32 percent. He has had a rough time of late, losing his place even in New Zealand’s T20I team.
Therefore, DC’s decision to fire Seifert was logical. Rishabh Pant is already a good wicketkeeper for them, and Sarfaraz Khan has started playing domestic cricket.
The Capitals will be able to find better options in the IPL 2023 auction, both in the overseas batter department and the wicketkeeping department.
#2 Mandeep Singh
Despite his low IPL earnings, many believed that DC would retain Mandeep Singh because of his cheap contract, but Ricky Ponting and co. decided to look elsewhere.
In IPL 2022, Mandeep played three games for the Capitals, scoring only 18 runs on average. He had numerous opportunities, but he didn’t take advantage of them, and his shot selection was poor.
In his 108 IPL matches, the right-handed batter has scored just 1,692 runs at an average of 21.42 and a strike rate of 124.32.
Mandeep will probably be selected in the IPL 2023 auction, but he may only serve as a backup.
#1 Shardul Thakur
Despite the fact that the 10.75 crores DC invested on behalf of Shardul Thakur appeared to be a large sum at first, it turned out to be a poor investment. The all-rounder scored 120 runs per game at an average of 15, took 15 wickets in 14 matches, and had an economy rate of 9.79.
As a result, DC made the decision to let Thakur go, trading him to the Kolkata Knight Riders in a deal that also sent Aman Hakim Khan in the opposite direction.
The Capitals had no reason to keep paying a hefty sum for Thakur’s services because of his unreliability at the plate and his lack of proven performances with the bat.
DC has now freed up a significant amount of cash for the IPL 2023 auction without significantly affecting their team balance. The franchise is going to benefit greatly from their decision to fire Thakur.