IPL 2020: Players who might play their final season this year

As March is now upon us, the eagerness for the ‘festival of cricket’ is growing amongst the fans all around the world. The (Indian Premier League) IPL Season 13 will be in action from 29th March and the Indian fans will be busy with simultaneous cricketing action with the India-South Africa series winding up just before IPL.

The auctions that were held in December segregated the unsold players based on the money spent by the franchises and it will be great to see some young and new faces this year. 

On one side, where there will be a bunch of new players, some of the old guns will be eyeing their retirement and exit from the IPL.

List of Players May Retire After IPL 2020 Season 13

The current status of players and some statements made by them indicate towards their final play and with veterans like Yuvraj Singh, Ashish Nehra, Zaheer Khan, already call their time off the league, it won’t be a surprise if few more stars announce their time off. 

IPL is one of the biggest cricket leagues in the world and probably the most commercial and entertaining too. It’s not just about winning or losing matches but IPL 2020 Season 13 symbolizes the spirit of cricket quite perfectly.

It has been the home of league cricket in India for more than 10 years now and it has been beneficial for the players in India as well as overseas.

The performance of players in the Premier League was considered reliable for the national team selection.

For quite some time now, IPL teams have spent big bucks on stars from India as well as other countries. For the money they spend on a player, they expect the player to perform accordingly.

Under the pressure from the franchise committees, players tend to work on their skills to perform better and this turns out to be fruitful for the national team as well.

Since its inception in 2008, Indian players have been an integral part of the league and have contributed to its success.

Some players have retired from the national teams but continue to participate in cricketing leagues such as IPL, Big Bash League, Canadian League and various other ones too.

Some of the smaller leagues might not require the player to be extremely fit, but this is not the case in IPL. Firstly, IPL is played in India, where Cricket is not just a sport, it’s a religion.

Fans in the country expect the players to perform in every match, especially the ones who represent India or have been integral figures in the growth of the sport. 

IPL requires you to be extremely fit just like the International Cricket demands and lately, the players have faced difficulty in coping up with the fitness requirements.

With a lot of experienced players and old guns playing in the IPL for quite a few years, this edition might be the last one for some of them. Let’s take a look at the players who could bid goodbye to the IPL 2020 Season 13. 

Harbhajan Singh

Team Chennai Super Kings is the team with the most number of experienced players in the squad. One of the oldest teams, in terms of age, CSK will look forward to contesting this year with a good amount of experience riding on their sleeve.

The most crucial spinner of the squad, Harbhajan Singh retired from international cricket 2 years back and has now moved on to commentating in international cricket matches. 

A family man now, Bhajji has given everything to the game of cricket and now continues it in the form of light and hilarious commentator. Harbhajan might be playing his final IPL this year as he looks forward to continuing as a full-time commentator.

Even the game requires him to work more on himself and it might get difficult for the player to cope up with the fitness levels and the stress. This might be the last season where we could see Bhajji don the CSK jersey as he would look forward to spending some quality time off-field. 

Chris Gayle

The left-hander batsman from West Indies is the most destructive batsman in the T20 format. A legend from the Caribbean, Gayle is considered to be one of the best batsmen in the world.

His ability to hit the ball out of the park is seemingly brilliant and his effortless batting style makes him one of the most confident players on the field.

One of the biggest threats in the IPL, Chris Gayle ruled the league when he batted for the Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise. 

Chris Gayle has been a part of various franchises over the years, from starting with Kolkata Knight Riders he moved to RCB and finally, he is playing for the Kings XI Punjab currently under the captaincy of KL Rahul this year.

It is time for the player to announce his departure from the Indian Premier League to finally grab a seat under the Sun and enjoy after what he has given to his country and the world of cricket.

Chris Gayle’s ability to hit sixes the way he used to is washing away with age and he is no more considered a threat to the bowlers. 

Shane Watson

Most of the players in the list are from the Chennai Super Kings franchise and with a squad as experienced as theirs, players will be looking forward to announcing their exit one by one.

Shane Watson is one of those players who has been exceptional with the ball and the bat over the years. He can open the innings and even bowl some crucial overs to grab a few wickets.

Watson is a good fielder too and is responsible for some of the most brilliant catches in the history of cricket. 

Shane Watson defined the era of Australia under Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke and over the years has proven himself as a competent T20 player who can bat in the middle order with the same dedication and compatibility while opening the innings.

He has been a key player of the Chennai franchise and one of the most influential figures in Thala’s squad. Over the years, we have seen Watson sweating it out to his maximum level on the field and it is finally time for the cricketer to take a break and relax after what he has given to the game. 

Lasith Malinga

Lasith Malinga is one player who has had a major influence in the world of cricket as a fast bowler. The right-handed Sri Lankan bowler introduced his style of bowling which became a sensation not only in the subcontinent but also in other parts of the world.

Malinga has been known for death bowling and his yorkers have scared the batsmen over the years. There was a time when all the batsmen feared Lasith Malinga as he was one of the fastest and consistent yorker bowling bowlers in the world. 

Lasith Malinga has played for Mumbai Indians throughout the years in the Indian Premier League and some reports suggested that Lasith Malinga was turning as the bowling coach for the team in the 2019 season but the player returned as the regular bowler and played his part.

Over the years, Lasith has lost his charm and fitness levels aren’t that good either. He isn’t the same death bowler he used to be and this could be a factor in the bowler bidding goodbye to the Indian franchise this year. 

Imran Tahir

Imran Tahir is one of the finest leg spinners in white-ball cricket, but the right-arm bowler found a place in the team at quite a later stage.

The Pakistani-born South African cricketer bowls the best googlies in the world and is regarded as the perfect spinner in the current scenario.

He is 40-year old now and age is taking a toll on his fitness levels and he might bid goodbye to the international team as well as his IPL franchise. 

Amongst the players in Chennai Super Kings’ squad, Imran Tahir is one of the experienced bowlers. The right-arm leggie has been MS Dhoni’s trump card over the years and this year might be the final one for the bowler.

He has served the game with utmost dedication and respect, and it will be a heart-break for the fans to see him go. IPL has been one of the successful tournaments of Tahir and he has been a brilliant bowler and a cricket player on the field. 

Mostly asked questions…

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