CSK to retain Dhoni, Jadeja; Delhi Capitals set to release Iyer: Report

New Delhi: Chennai Super Kings are all set to retain skipper MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja, while Delhi Capitals will keep Rishabh Pant as captain, along with him Anrich Nortje and Axar Patel will also keep their places.

This means both the teams will let go of their middle-order mainstays. While Suresh Raina will be released from Chennai, Delhi will let go of Shreyas Iyer, according to a report in Indian Express.

Iyer would be dropped as he wanted to lead the side which wouldn't be possible with Pant at the helm who has got some solid backing from the owners. Meanwhile, Raina was no longer the top choice with his form taking a huge dip in IPL 2020, the newspaper reported. The paper also confirmed that CSK are in negotiations with England's Moeen Ali as the fourth retention. His spin can come in handy in India where IPL 2022 will be played next year in April. In case he declines, Sam Curran will be retained.

Meanwhile Mumbai Indians will retain skipper Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah. The negotiations are on with West Indies' Kieron Pollard. They might also retain Ishan Kishan who could be a good long-term investment. They want to release Surya Kumar Yadav and then buy him back from the auction pool, the report said. KL Rahul in all likelihood will join Sanjiv Goenka's brand new Lucknow franchise as captain. "India opener KL Rahul is likely to lead Goenka's new Lucknow team. It is learnt Rahul has parted ways with Punjab Kings and has accepted Goenka's offer. It is also learnt that Yadav was approached by the new franchise but the batsman hasn't responded yet," the report said further.

Similarly, Kolkata Knight Riders plan to retain Andre Russell and Sunil Narine. They would also like to have Varun Chakrawarthy on board. Every franchise can retain upto four players.

They will have to provide the final list to the BCCI by November 30 after which the mega auction will take place.