Delhi Capitals retained their captain Rishabh Pant, as well as young opener Prithvi Shaw and Axar Patel among their Indian cricketers ahead of the mega-auction. The side picked South African speedster Anirch Nortje as their only overseas retention, with some notable absentees in the list.
Shikhar Dhawan, who had been an integral part of the side's campaigns in the past two seasons, was released alongside star pacer Kagiso Rabada as well as off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
Robin Uthappa, who had represented Chennai Super Kings in the previous edition of the tournament, expressed surprise at DC's releases ahead of the mega auction.
Uthappa feels Shaw and Dhawan would have formed a good opening pair for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2022.
"About Shikhar, for sure. He has done so exceptionally well for them. It was a no-brainer. I thought Kagiso Rabada would be a no-brainer," said Uthappa on Star Sports.
“If they had both, Kagiso and Anrich Nortje, you essentially have your fast bowling set up and then you go for another couple of Indian fast bowlers and then you have your bowling line-up set up and that was a very dangerous bowling line-up, a match-winning bowling line-up.
"And even up there, we know how dangerous Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan can be, so the fact that they have let go of one from that pair is actually quite surprising," he added.
{{/usCountry}}"And even up there, we know how dangerous Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan can be, so the fact that they have let go of one from that pair is actually quite surprising," he added.
{{/usCountry}}Delhi Capitals also released Shreyas Iyer, who led the side until his injury earlier this year which eventually forced him out of the first half of IPL 2021. Pant retained captaincy when Iyer returned to the squad for the second phase of the edition in September/October.
DC had qualified for three successive playoffs in the last three seasons, reaching their first final in the 2020 edition.