Kevin Pietersen, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir and Mitchell Johnson were some of the big names released by their Indian Premier League franchises. A total of 63 players were released while 140 were retained by the franchises for the 2017 edition. Former England batsman Pietersen was picked by newcomers Rising Pune Supergiants for R3.5cr at last year’s auction but played only four matches after a calf injury ruled him out. Retired Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson, who hasn’t played any