IPL 2019: 5 players who might be playing their last season

The twelfth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) promises to bring a lot of excitement to the table. It surely will treat and delight the fans with some great shows and thorough entertainment. All the teams will be eager to take the title home and might have already begun strategizing their plans. However, this season could also leave the fans with scenes they would never want to witness. It might hurt them more than any other IPL season ever did as some of their favourite cricketers from around the globe might not play next year. These cricketers have reached the twilight of their careers and expecting for them to continue for one more season after this will only be over exaggeration. Here are five such cricketers who could be playing their last IPL: 5. Harbhajan Singh Harbhajan Singh. (Photo Source: Facebook) It sprung up quite a surprise when the Chennai Super Kings decided to retain Harbhajan Singh for the upcoming season. The Turbunator doesn’t spin batsmen around his web as much as he used to do earlier. He has lost the kind of skill he used to possess with the ball a few years ago. Hence, this forced Mumbai Indians to end their 10-year association with him. Since 2016, Bhajji has picked only 24 wickets in 38 matches which is disappointing. He conceded runs at an economy rate of close to 8 in these three seasons. He bowled the least number of overs in his entire IPL career while playing in 2018 (min. 10 matches). With Mitchell Santner available this season, Harbhajan might have his opportunities limited in what could be turn about to be his last season. 4. Kieron Pollard Mumbai Indians’ Kieron Pollard in action. (Photo by IANS) Another player coming from the Mumbai Indians’ ranks in Kieron Pollard who has largely under-performed in the last couple of editions. He hasn’t been bowling as much and his hitting prowess with the willow has come down drastically. Although he has got immense backing from the management, Pollard has somewhat become a burden to the team. For the first time in his IPL career this year, he featured in less than 12 games due to the string of failures. In 9 matches, Pollard scored 133 runs despite being given opportunities to bat at the top of the order. He picked only five wickets in the last five seasons combined and has scalped a wicket since 2016. He isn’t as much a utility player as he was earlier which is heart-breaking to see. 3. Gautam Gambhir Gautam Gambhir. (Photo Source: Twitter) Indian opener Gautam Gambhir had the worst season ever in 2018. He stepped into the Delhi Daredevils setup amidst a lot of expectations only to end it on a disastrous note. Gambhir, in fact, dropped himself after the first few matches after failing to lead from the front. He only managed to score 85 runs in 6 games at a mediocre strike rate of 97. Gauti is already 37 years old and will be over 38 by the time he will play IPL 2019. If he gets picked in the auction for the upcoming season, that could be the last for Gambhir and he will want to end it on a high. Franchises like Sunrisers Hyderabad or Kolkata Knight Riders might look to acquire his services given the experience he brings to the table. 2. Yuvraj Singh Kings XI Punjab’s Yuvraj Singh. (Photo: IANS) Another big name on this list is the mighty Yuvraj Singh who is regarded to be one of the finest all-rounders India has ever come across. One of the better timers of the cricket ball, Yuvi doesn’t have much gas left and there is every possibility that he might not make it till the 2020 season. His participation in IPL 2019 is also under the clouds at the moment. In a pursuit to prove his ability and fitness, Yuvraj has opted to play the next three Ranji games for Punjab right ahead of the IPL auction which shows the vulnerability. He earlier decided not to play the domestic tournament as he wanted to give the youngsters an opportunity. In 2018, Yuvraj scored 65 runs in eight outings for Kings XI Punjab at a strike rate of 89 and was dropped eventually in the second half of the competition. 1. Shane Watson Shane Watson. (Photo Source: Twitter) Shane Watson is an exception among all these players. He hasn’t put a foot wrong with the bat in hand. He was the man for Chennai Super Kings on the night of the final in IPL 2018. He still strikes the ball extremely well and is doing more than enough in T20 leagues around the world. In 2018, the veteran amassed 555 runs in 15 games including two centuries. However, it is his fitness that is the major issue. He looked rusty in the last season and MS Dhoni had to hide him on the field due to his hamstring issues. Looking at things at the moment, it would be tough for him to push himself for two more years and he might bid adieu to the league after the upcoming edition.

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IPL 2019: 5 players who might be playing their last season

These cricketers have reached the twilight of their careers and expecting for them to continue for one more season will only be over exaggeration.

1. Shane Watson

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