IPL 2018: Five players who are likely to retire at the end of the tournament

This year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) has been another wonderful exhibition of some exhilarating cricket being played. The unpredictability level in the tournament has always been high and even this time, there were a plenty of surprises. While some players showed their potential on the field, some had a horrid patch this season. In short, it has been a roller coaster ride.

There were a number of cricketers who may be making their last appearance in the IPL this year. The reason maybe poor form, fitness, age or any other. While the senior group in the CSK team camp is a sublime example of how age doesn’t define a player, there are some who have shown vulnerable signs. Here’s a list of five players who are likely to retire after this season:-

1. Gautam Gambhir

Rewarded the captaincy of Delhi Daredevils, Gautam Gambhir was expected to bring around a change in Delhi’s fortunes. The franchise has failed to qualify for the playoffs in their previous few instances. While he began the tournament with a fifty, his form soon dried up. The left-hander ended with just 84 runs in his first 6 games before he took up a strange decision midway.

Leaving the captaincy was a selfless cause by the Indian opener. However, he also went on to subsequently get dropped from the team which seemed quite harsh. The 36-year-old was seen watching his team games from the dugout in the second phase of the IPL. He even forfeited his fees for the season. It’s highly likely that we’ve seen the last of Gautam Gambhir in IPL this year.

2. Yuvraj Singh

The Man of the Tournament of India’s World Cup-winning campaign. Age and fitness issues have surely caught up with the star. After failing to make a comeback into the Indian team, the 36-year-old was dropped out of favour from the Kings XI Punjab playing XI as well. His tally of 65 runs in 8 matches has been a sublime proof of his poor run in this year’s IPL.

Not only did it affect Kings XI Punjab’s prospects in the middle order, it also saw the left-handed batsman getting excluded. He was later brought back into the playing eleven only to be ousted again. Yuvraj has also faced a fair bit of fitness issues for some time now. Also, the franchises didn’t show much interest in him during the IPL auctions too as he was bought by Kings XI Punjab for his base price. He may well hung up his boots soon.

3. Brendon McCullum

Known for his explosive batting at the top order, McCullum couldn’t make much of a difference for the Bangalore franchise. His tally of 127 runs in 6 games clearly suggest that RCB again had to be reliant on Virat Kohli and AB De Villiers to deliver up to the expectations. His failure led to his exclusion in the later stages of the IPL. Having already retired from international cricket, McCullum was really inconsistent this season.

At the age of 36, the former Kiwi player still is a force to reckon with, when it comes to fielding. Even his fitness has been up to the mark. However, his form hasn’t been quite impressive over the years and this is sure to decrease his aura amongst the other teams in the IPL. There is a high possibility of McCullum calling time on his IPL career following another bad season.

4. Mitchell Johnson

Many would’ve thought that Mitchell Johnson was done for last year. However, his performance in the IPL finals helped Mumbai Indians win their third trophy. He was brought by Kolkata Knight Riders for a base price of ₹2 crores. With Mitchell Starc’s ouster, the onus of leading the pack fell on him. However, the left arm pacer couldn’t fill the void behind.

With just 2 wickets in a total of 6 games, Johnson went through a really poor season. Conceding runs at a high economy rate and failing to apply any kind of pressure on the opposition batsmen, he failed to create any impact. Having retired from international cricket long ago, Johnson may well be introspecting his IPL retirement after a horrible season.

5. Daniel Christian

All-rounders have been a bliss when it comes to the T20 format. However, Daniel Christian hasn’t created much of an enigma when it comes to the Indian Premier League. Representing Delhi Daredevils, the all-rounder got to play just four games this season. While he got wickets, his economy rate was quite on the wronger side. Also, a poor run with the bat was a letdown on his part.

The 35-year old from Australia last featured in an international game way back in 2014. Even last year, he didn’t have a great stint with the Rising Pune Super Giants. After another low season in the IPL, he might be thinking of retiring from the T20 ranks. He may not find many takers amongst the franchises if Delhi let go of him which has a greater possibility. He may well call it a day to the IPL.