"He's not stopped since probably New Zealand or what he did in Pakistan, the ILT20, New Zealand, the Hundred, Ashes and so on," Key had said.

He also enjoyed the company of youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, the breakout batter of IPL 2023, and Riyan Parag.

"The 32-year-old's addition to the Royals squad brought in plenty of depth and experience, which served as a learning experience for a lot of youngsters in the side like Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Yashasvi Jaiswal in the team," the franchise said in the statement. "His camaraderie with his England teammate Jos Buttler and his bonding with Yuzvendra Chahal was also one of the memorable highlights of the former England Test skipper's stint with the Royals."

Shahbaz traded to Sunrisers, Dagar to RCB

Dagar, who plays domestic cricket for Himachal Pradesh, played three games for Sunrisers in what was his maiden IPL season after he was purchased for INR 1.8 crore ($219,000 approx.) in the 2023 auction. Shahbaz was secured for INR 2.4 crore ($320,000 approx.) before IPL 2022.

Both Sunrisers and RCB have new managements in the upcoming season. While Sunrisers have Daniel Vettori as their new head coach, RCB have appointed Andy Flower in the same role.