On the dressing-room tour

In Chennai Super Kings' first IPL season, Parthiv Patel was their third highest run-getter. But his stock declined steadily, and by 2010, he was struggling to get into the first XI. A release inevitably followed. He then got unlucky, as the next two franchises he played for, Kochi Tuskers Kerala and Deccan Chargers, were both terminated a year after he joined them. Chargers became Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Parthiv was part of their squad for a season before going into the big 2014 auction. Royal Challengers Bangalore bought him, but released him after a season. He has since become an important member of Mumbai Indians' squad and is likely to be their first-choice wicketkeeper this season.

Aaron Finch was not bought at the 2010 auction, but brought into the Rajasthan Royals team just before the season began after Graeme Smith and Dimitri Mascarenhas were injured. He played just one game for Royals before going into the big 2011 auction, in which he was bought by Delhi Daredevils. He did not play much cricket for them either and had to wait till 2013 to make his mark, hitting 456 runs in a season for Pune Warriors. After Warriors was terminated, he spent a year each at Sunrisers and Mumbai, before being bought by Gujarat Lions in 2016. He was their second-highest run-getter last season and will play for them again this year.

Rather incredibly, Thisara Perera has played for six different IPL franchises, yet has played just 37 games, averaging just over six games per franchise. He has not lasted more than a season at any franchise, and 28 of those 37 games have come over two seasons. In 2013, he played 13 games for Sunrisers and then last season he played 12 games for Pune Supergiants. All his other teams barely got any cricket out of him. As if wanting to keep his record of never lasting more than a season with a franchise intact, Supergiants released him after last season. He was unsold at the 2017 auction.

Yuvraj Singh was the icon player for Kings XI Punjab in the IPL's first season. But they chose not to retain any of their players before the 2011 auction. He was one of the most expensive players in the auction, going for $1.8 million (Rs11.78 crore) to Pune Warriors. In the 2014 auction, in which he was available due to Warriors being terminated, he went for even more, Rs 14 crore, to Royal Challengers Bangalore. He's been released twice since, though, by Royal Challengers and then Delhi Daredevils, for whom he played the 2015 season after they bought him for Rs 16 crores, and now finds himself at Sunrisers Hyderabad, with whom he won his first IPL trophy, last season.

Delhi to Punjab to Mumbai, then back to Delhi, then on to Bengaluru and Gujarat - that's been Dinesh Karthik's journey as an IPL player. He has never excelled, causing teams to release him, but always done just enough to attract someone else's attention and has never missed a season. Gujarat Lions have retained him for the 2017 season, but with a big auction expected after that, Karthik may add more teams to his resume before his career is done.

After just one season with Mumbai Indians, Ashish Nehra was transferred to his home state's franchise, Delhi Daredevils. He became an important bowler in their squad, but Daredevils retained just Virender Sehwag ahead of the 2011 auction. Pune Warriors pounced and bought Nehra for $850,000 (Rs 5.56 crore), more than four times his base price. Daredevils got him back for the 2013 season, but then he was off to Chennai Super Kings, where impressive performances led to a recall to the India team after four years. Once Super Kings was suspended, he was bought by Sunrisers.

Ashok Dinda gained recognition with his performances during his three-year stint at Kolkata Knight Riders from 2008-2010, but has since not settled at a franchise. Daredevils kept him for just a season after buying him in the 2011 auction, Warriors had him for two and Royal Challengers played him just 11 times over two seasons. He returned to form last season, in which he took 11 wickets in nine games for Pune Supergiants, convincing them to retain him.

Praveen Kumar
Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kings XI Punjab, Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gujarat Lions

Praveen Kumar had two three-year stints, the first with Royal Challengers and the second with Kings XI, both relatively successful. But after that, he became a bit of a journeyman, spending just one year each at Mumbai Indians, who signed him up as a replacement, and Sunrisers. Last season, he played all of Gujarat Lions' games and was retained.

RP Singh
Deccan Chargers, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Pune Supergiants

When Deccan Chargers won the IPL in 2009, RP Singh was the season's leading wicket-taker, with 23 scalps. But after Chargers released all their players before the 2011 auction, he played for three franchises in three years, and despite taking 10 wickets or more every season, went unsold in the 2014 auction. He made a comeback when Supergiants bought him in 2016, but after playing just four games, he was released and went unsold again in the latest auction.

Ravindra Jadeja was built up by Shane Warne, his Rajasthan Royals captain, as a rock star after impressive performances in the IPL's first two seasons, but he disappointed Royals fans by breaking the rules and trying to negotiate a move to another franchise while still on contract with Royals. He was banned for one season and returned as a Kochi Tuskers Kerala player in 2011. That franchise only lasted a season, and Jadeja moved to Chennai Super Kings after its termination. Three seasons later, Super Kings was suspended and Jadeja was picked up by Gujarat Lions, for whom he will play the upcoming season.