Shardul Thakur trade: Why Delhi Capitals might look to release Indian all-rounder ahead of IPL 2023 auction?

IPL 2023 season is on, and the teams will have to submit their list of retained players before 15 November, 2022. The teams are doing their best to strategize for the same, and Delhi Capitals are one of the teams who are looking to release some players. Shardul Thakur has been officially traded by the side to KKR.

Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore have already completed the trade of Jason Behrendorff, whereas Lockie Ferguson and Rahmanullah Gurbaz have completed their switch from Gujarat Titans to Kolkata Knight Riders. There are updates of multiple other players as well.

ALSO READ: Jason Behrendorff IPL 2023 Trade

Delhi Capitals could not make it to the playoffs last time around, and they will undergo some changes ahead of the auction. However, to buy quality players, the team will have to release some players for the same.

Shardul Thakur trade

Kolkata Knight Riders have completed the trade of Shardul Thakur from Delhi Capitals in an all-cash deal. This it the 3rd trade deal made by Kolkata Knight Riders after Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Lockie Ferguson.

The Capitals bought Thakur for a whopping price of INR 10.75 crores in the last auction, but his performances were certainly not up to the mark. He managed to scalp 15 wickets in the tournament, but he was very expensive in his spells. With the bat, he scored 120 runs at an average of 10.81.

Apart from Shardul Thakur, the team is also looking to release Ashwin Hebbar, Mandeep Singh, Tim Seifert and KS Bharat. A team can release or retain any number of players ahead of the auction.

“Shardul is a premium all-rounder but his price tag was an issue. The others who are set to be released are Hebbar, Mandeep, Seifert and Bharat,” an IPL source told PTI.

The team will get an additional purse of INR 5 crores ahead of the auction in addition to the amount they will get by trading or releasing the players. With players like Ben Stokes, Sam Curran, Cameron Green, etc, set to come in the auction, the teams are trying to get some amount in their bank in order to bid for these star all-rounders.