The 13th season of the IPL is bringing a bag full of excitement along. It’s not only the fans but also the players and franchises waiting to listen to the IPL hoot again. April-May 2020 will be two months of celebration, emotion, and hardcore t20 cricket.
Amidst all this excitement, the season will also bring in some nostalgic moments when some good old champions bidding farewell to this almost 13-year-old league.
Following are the 5 players most probable of calling time after this IPL :
1) Harbhajan Singh:
After an entertaining stint with the Mumbai Indians, Indian test cricket’s most successful off-spinner joined Chennai Superkings. Even in yellow, Bhajji didn’t fail to serve the team with the best off-spin available in the league. His ability to hit sixes in the last few balls kept the team going.
Last year the turbanator got a chance only after Kedar Jadhav’s unfortunate injury but he didn’t disappoint the captain in any way. However after the shuffling that is expected at the CSK camp, even tough bhajji is retained, he might not play many matches. The 39-year-old may just retire now.
2) Lasith Malinga:
The Sri Lankan is not only the league’s best bowler but also one of the rare players who began and will end his IPL career in the same team. A few weeks back an interviewer found Lasith lauding about at least two more years in t20 cricket but you never know, if this is his last IPL.
The slinger was put into the auction pool last year, where Mumbai again went on to buy him at the base price. Even if Malinga gets a few matches this year, his fitness won’t allow him to be as quick as the fielders are required to be. One can do nothing but bow out to this champion.
3) Shane Watson:
He has probably been one of the hottest picks of IPL since it’s inception in 2008. His services with the bat and ball have always helped the captain at crucial times. Watson started his IPL career with Rajasthan Royals and then flew to Chinnaswamy before finally landing with the Chennai Superkings.
Shane Watson has made it to Chennai’s retention list this year but his fitness is a real concern. No one will ever forget how this champion knocked of Sunrisers Hyderabad single-handedly to win the title for Chennai in 2018.
4) Imran Tahir:
After having a decent World Cup in 2019, the South African leg spinner decided to retire from One Day international cricket. He admitted that he would focus on t20 cricket, contributing towards his national team and in domestic leagues.
Imran Tahir has been very handy for Dhoni whenever the Chennai Superkings captain has asked for a wicket. As he turns 40 now and also after the low seasons he’s had in two years, this might be an ideal time to call off for the lethal leg-spinner. Imran Tahir’s celebration run will be missed in the league.
5) Chris Gayle:
The deadliest batsman in World T20 may have to retire from the world’s most successful t20 league owing to fitness issues. Chris Gayle has played some extraordinary cricket in the IPl especially when he scored 175* which happens to be the highest individual t20 score. This West Indies opener was picked by Kings XI Punjab last year in Rs.2 crore (base price) after Gayle went unsold in the first round.
After serving Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore and KXIP last year, Chris Gayle has contributed enough for the league to cherish forever.