Dwayne Bravo, a legend of the Indian Premier League and a pioneer of T20 cricket, has withdrawn from the upcoming edition of the IPL 2023. Steve Smith, the former captain of the Rajasthan Royals and Rising Pune Super Giants, has also decided not to attend the upcoming IPL auction with DJ Bravo.
Dwayne Brave
A switch to Chennai Super Kings transformed Bravo into one of the most valuable players in the history of the IPL. He started his journey with the Mumbai Indians before making the switch to the Caribbean side.
Bravo is the most successful wicket-taker in the history of the cash-rich tournament, with three IPL trophies to his name. Over 161 matches, Bravo picked up 183 wickets at an average economy of 8.38. He also helped his team win multiple matches while playing in the lower middle order. Now Bravo retiring himself as a player from IPL.
CSK decided to release him ahead of the mini-auction despite him being a fan favourite and a key member of the bowling line-up. According to ESPNCricinfo, the all-rounder refused to put his name in this year’s auction despite being bought for INR 4.4 crore before the tournament’s 15th edition and picking up 16 wickets in ten games. Now Dwayne Bravo will be in action as a Chennai Super King bowling coach in TATA IPL 2023.
Steve Smith
The 33-year-old former captain of Australia, Steve Smith, was released by Delhi Capitals in 2022, and he will not be participating in the upcoming year’s tournament. Smith spent most of his time warming the bench during his last stint with Delhi Capitals.
The cricketer failed to find a place in any of the teams last season with his career strike rate of 128.09 in the Indian Premier League, and with the Ashes scheduled for the following year, he may have taken some time off to focus on the longer format.
Other Notable Absentees from IPL 2023 Mini-Auction
The IPL auction will be held on December 23 in Kochi, and all teams are preparing for the cricketing carnival. Many cricketers have decided to miss the marquee tournament. Bravo and Smith are not the only players to not enter the auction. Mitchell Starc and Marnus Labuschagne are also not participating.
