The Indian Premier League 2022 season is heading towards the knockout stages, with the race for the playoffs spot heating up. The tournament has witnessed several young players making a mark for themselves.
However, this Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season could also be the last for a few players. For legends, who have over the years graced the tournament with their presence. While some may retire from the tournament given their age, some may not get another chance due to their form. In this article, we take a look at the five players who might be playing their last IPL season.
5 players who might be playing their last IPL season
#5 Dwayne Bravo
The West Indies all-rounder announced his retirement from international cricket last year. The 38-year-old legendary cricketer might be playing his last Indian Premier League season.
#4 Kieron Pollard
Kieron Pollard is another West Indies all-rounder who has put up fantastic performances in the Indian Premier League over the years. Along with his batting and bowling exploits, Pollard is also known for his breathtaking fielding efforts in the tournament.
The power-hitter has played 189 IPL matches, scoring 3412 runs at an average of 28.67, and a strike rate of 147.32. Pollard also has 69 wickets to his name at an average of 31.59 in the tournament.
The Mumbai Indians cricketer has been a part of the franchise since 2010. However, this year he has not been able to make a mark. With Kieron Pollard retiring from the sport earlier this year, and not being in the best of forms, this may be his last Indian Premier League season.
#3 Mohammad Nabi
The Afghanistan all-rounder, Mohammad Nabi has a decent record in the Indian Premier League. He made his debut for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2017 and was a crucial member of the team for the next few years. However, this year, the all-rounder has not gotten a single game yet.
Mohammad Nabi was picked by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2022 auctions. But with the likes of Andre Russell, Pat Cummins, Sunil Narine, and Tim Southee in the side, they have been unable to give the Afghanistan all-rounder an opportunity.
Nabi turned 37 years of age earlier this year, and with not much game time this season, the franchises may not consider him for the upcoming seasons.
#2 Varun Aaron
Indian pacer Varun Aaron was picked by the Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2022 auctions. He has played two matches so far for the team in the season, picking two wickets, and conceding 52 runs.
Varun’s career has been hampered by injuries and inconsistency. In his 52 matches IPL career, the pacer has taken 44 wickets but has been pretty expensive. His economy rate in the Indian Premier League is 8.94. The Gujarat Titans speedster might be playing his last IPL given his inconsistent performances over the last few years
#1 MS Dhoni
The Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is synonymous with the franchise as he has been a part of the team since the first season of the Indian Premier League. The wicket-keeper batter has led them to four championship titles over the years.
At the start of the IPL 2022 season, Dhoni had handed over the captaincy duties to Ravindra Jadeja. However, following their disastrous performance in the first phase of the tournament, the all-rounder handed back the duties to the wicketkeeper.
The fans would love to see their skipper play for the franchise for more years, however, with age being a factor, the 40-year-old might play his last IPL season this year.