Delhi Capitals have decided to retain their explosive opener Prithvi Shaw, who is recovering from a knee injury suffered during his county cricket stint, while Kolkata Knight Riders have freed up a purse worth Rs 10.75 crore by releasing out of form all-rounder Shardul Thakur.

While Sarfaraz Khan and Manish Pandey, two players no longer suited to demands of a top tier T20 meet like IPL, were released earlier, it is understood that head coach Ricky Ponting and team director Sourav Ganguly have a lot of faith in Shaw's abilities and expect him to get fit before the IPL starts in late March next year.