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'It was disappointing to lose Shubman Gill': KKR head coach McCullum opens up on decision to release youngster
KKR head coach Brendon McCullum has now spoken for the first time on the decision to release Gill, said that it was “disappointing” to lose the Indian youngster.
Kolkata Knight Riders faced heartbreak in the final of the 2021 Indian Premier League and the side will be eyeing a strong rebuild of their squad in the mega auction ahead of the 2022 edition of the tournament. KKR, led by Eoin Morgan in the past season, made four retentions ahead of the mega auction; Andre Russell ( ₹12 crore), Varun Chakravarthy ( ₹8 crore), Venkatesh Iyer ( ₹8 crore) and Sunil Narine ( ₹6 crore).
Interestingly, the franchise released youngster Shubman Gill, who was eventually roped in by newcomers Ahmedabad ahead of the mega auction. KKR head coach Brendon McCullum has now spoken for the first time on the decision to release Gill, said that it was “disappointing” to lose the Indian youngster.
"You need to plan as you're going to lose a lot of players. It was disappointing to lose Shubman Gill. But that's the way life is sometimes and we will be well prepared for the upcoming auction," McCullum said on a live session for KKR.
The Knight Riders had bought an 18-year-old Shubman Gill during the IPL auction for ₹1.8 crore in 2018. He scored 1,417 runs for the franchise in 58 matches at a strike rate of 123.
On the franchise's retentions ahead of the 2022 edition, McCullum said that all four players remain an important part of the side.
"Sunil Narine and Andre Russell have been proven campaigners for a decade. We have all seen what Varun Chakravarthy is capable of in the last two seasons. Venkatesh Iyer was probably the story of the second half of IPL 2021," said McCullum.
The Knight Riders had also released Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins and McCullum insisted that he was “brilliant” for the franchise.
"I think Pat Cummins was a pretty good buy. While some would say he did not perform as he should have, I disagree. He was brilliant across disciplines without statistically being a really high achiever. You are prepared to go hard for guys like him," said the former New Zealand captain.
