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5 players who could return their old franchise in the IPL 2022 mega auction after being released

The Indian Premier League (IPL) retentions threw up a lot of surprises. Even as some of the retentions and releases were pretty expected, a few of them raised eyebrows. The pundits didn’t expected them to be released after fairly decent performances in the previous seasons.

However, the eight teams, who released them, have a chance to buy them back in the mega auction, scheduled to take place on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru. These players are game-changers and, on their days, can rattle the best of oppositions.

Here are five players who can be brought back by their previous teams in IPL 2022 mega auction

1. Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal joined Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2014 after initially making his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2013. From there on, he turned out to be a fulcrum of the Challengers’ bowling attack, having picked up over 100 wickets.

After eight seasons, RCB decided to release him off his services. In the first leg of IPL 2021, Chahal couldn’t get regular wickets, and subsequently, he was left out of the T20 World Cup squad. But in the UAE leg of IPL 2021, Chahal gave an account of the damage he can do.

2. Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Mujeeb Ur Rahman made his IPL debut for the Kings XI Punjab, now Punjab Kings (PBKS). After a couple of seasons, the Afghanistan tweaker moved to the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). But in both franchises, he didn’t get a whole lot of chances.

In 19 IPL matches, Mujeeb picked up as many wickets at an economy rate of 8.18. Now that Rashid Khan isn’t with the Sunrisers anymore, the Orange Army may think of bringing in Mujeeb, who has been a sought-after player in T20 leagues around the world.

3. Devdutt Padikkal

Devdutt Padikkal burst onto the IPL back in 2020 and played some jaw-dropping knocks. In is maiden IPL season, the left-hander didn’t show any signs of nervousness whatsoever. The southpaw took the attack to the opposition bowling without nurturing any inhibitions.

In 29 IPL matches, Padikkal has already notched 884 runs at an average of 31.57 and a strike rate of 125.04. He also has a century to his name. On the back of his performance in the 2021 edition, he made his debut for Team India in the tour of Sri Lanka back in July.

4. Jonny Bairstow

SRH’s batting has been shambolic over the last two seasons. But one man who stood out for them was England’s Jonny Bairstow. The right-hander was a brute force at the top of the order and always helped the Sunrisers take advantage of the mandatory powerplay.

In 28 IPL matches, the 32-year-old racked up, 1038 runs at an average of 41.52 and a strike rate of 142.19. The fact that he scored one century and seven half-centuries showed his power with the bat. He can be an asset to whichever team he opens the batting for.

5. Rahul Chahar

Back in the 2018 IPL, Mumbai Indians (MI) roped in Rahul Chahar for INR 1.90 crores after a bidding war with Rajasthan Royals (RR). The youngster forayed into IPL cricket with some impressive performances and went on to play for MI for four seasons.

In the India leg of IPL 2021, Chahar performed exceptionally, getting a couple of Player of the Match performances. But after a poor showing in the UAE, Rohit Sharma and Co. decided to let him go. But MI can buy him back since Chahar is highly talented.

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