IPL 8: Top five players whose release will be rued by their previous franchises

New Delhi: The eighth edition of cash-rich Indian Premier League kicked off in style with the batsmen dominating the first week of the season. 

Every year, the teams change their combination by releasing some players while retaining some others.  

Delhi Daredevils who finished at the bottom in 2013 decided to revamp its squad by releasing almost half of their players in 2014 auction. Their revamped squad didn't work there as well and they finished at the bottom once again. 

In 2015 auction, they again rejuvenated their squad but lost their two opening games.

However, there are some franchises that would admit they made a blunder by releasing some players as their move rather benefited the side that has bought those players. 

Here is the list of the players whose release might leave an unfulfilled void for their previous teams. Each mistake here is the release of a player.

Chris Gayle

One of the most destructive batsmen in the world started his IPL career with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2009 but was not very impressive with the bat. He was released by KKR in 2011 and was then bagged by Royal Challengers Bangalore. In his debut game against his previous team Kolkata Knight Riders in their home ground, he scored 102 off 55 balls, hitting 10 fours and 7 sixes which was followed by another century against Kings XI Punjab.

He has scored an unbelievable 175* against the Pune Warriors in 2013, which still is the highest score in the league. In the 2013 season, he had scored 705 runs in the 16 games for Bangalore. The KKR would now be rethinking their decision of releasing a player of his caliber.

AB de Villiers

The South African captain has been the most prolific run-getter in international cricket recently. His ability to keep wickets, field at any position on the field and bat like a superman makes him a top priority for any team. AB de Villiers was chosen by the Delhi Daredevils franchise in the opening season and was kept waiting as he only played six games in that season.

Later he did relatively well in the second season but the third edition was again not a great one for him. The DD after the third season released AB, and Royal Challengers Bangalore picked him. They must still be feel they took the right decisions by picking him after watching de Villier play blinders for RCB over the years.

Brendon McCullum

Brendon McCullum is the epitome of batting in the modern era. Hand-eye coordination, timing and gets the bowlers under extreme pressure are some of the major aspects of his batting. He got going and launched himself in the best possible manner in the first season of IPL for the KKR. McCullum scored a dashing 158 and made sure his team was victorious on the opening day. He was handed over the KKR captaincy in 2009 IPL and the team finished at the bottom.

Later he was bought by the Kochi Tuskers Kerala in 2011, which got dissolved for various reasons. He was picked by KKR again for 2012 and 2013 but due to a relatively below par performance, he was released by the franchisee yet again.

Prior to the 2014 season, he was picked up by the CSK, for whom he had been in good pick and has produced some match winning knocks. After joining the Yellow men, Baz has notched up 400 runs in 16 appearances.

Mitchell Johnson

The speedster from Australia has the makings of an ideal T20 bowler and, in fact, can produce miraculous spells in any format of the game. Mitchell Johnson was bought by the Mumbai Indians, played for them in the first few years and played a vital role in their success.

In the 17 games that Johnson has played for the Mumbai Indians, has picked 24 wickets. The preceding year, Mitch was picked by Kings XI Punjab, and there was no dip in the level of performance. The strong left-arm pacer took 17 wickets out of 14 games with a miserly economy rate in comparison to the previous seasons.

Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell, a comprehensive batsman and someone who can bat at any given position. His style of batting suits the T20 format and is an asset for any team that he is a part of. Maxwell started playing the IPL back in the year, 2010 and represented the Delhi Daredevils. 

Maxi did not get enough opportunities at DD and thus could not produce performance worth his standards. The following year he was picked by the Mumbai Indians and later he was bought by the KXIP in the 2014. P

Punjab gave him the right position and freedom and that is when he has started performing at his best. Maxwell scored 552 runs in 16 games and with a strike rate of 187.95. He brought a lot of value to the side and has been a regular feature for them.