KKR release Shakib and Liton 

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and opener Liton Das, were released by their respective Indian Premier League (IPL) sides ahead of the auction in Dubai on December 19. 

Shakib and Liton represented two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2023 edition of the tournament.

The duo still would have a chance to get picked up from the auction.

After remaining unpicked in 2022, Shakib was roped in for a second time by KKR for the following season. However, the all-rounder pulled out of the tournament without playing any matches due to personal reasons.

Wicketkeeper-batter Liton, on the other hand, made his IPL debut when he got to feature for the KKR in a solitary match in which he scored four runs and missed out on a stumping.

Shakib and Liton are two of 12 players to have been released by KKR. The franchise retained West Indies duo Andre Russel and Sunil Narine but let go of Lockie Ferguson, Tim Southee, Johnson Charles, and David Wiese amongst the foreign ranks.

Notable local exclusions include Shardul Thakur and Umesh Yadav.

Earlier, Bangladesh's left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman was also released by Delhi Capitals. 

Mustafizur was brought in by the franchise for a base price of Rs 2 crores but a lacklustre display, which saw him take one wicket in two matches at an economy rate of 11.29, did not allow him to make the eleven further down the competition.