3 Indian Cricketers Who Made Their Debut Before MS Dhoni But Haven't Retired Yet

Longevity is a trait often associated with Indian cricketers as most of the country’s cricketers end up playing at least for a decade. MS Dhoni was one of the recent cricketers who retired last year after playing international cricket for 15 years. The former Indian captain had a massive impact on Indian cricket, taking them to unparalleled heights.

Nevertheless, there are a handful of cricketers who have not announced their international retirement having debuted before MS Dhoni’s arrival. Such players did deliver some notable performances; however, have fallen out of favour in the current scenario. It might also be possible that they are still hoping for a last shot at international cricket.

We take a look at three Indian cricketers who haven’t retired debuting before MS Dhoni:

Amit Mishra:

Despite being a savvy leg-spinner with plenty of variations, Amit Mishra has not been able to nail his place in the side. Amit Mishra last played for India in February 2017 and the rising stocks of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav has pushed him down the pecking order. And it seems unlikely for the 38-year old to don the national jersey again.

In 22 Tests, 36 ODIs, and ten T20Is, Mishra has an aggregate of 156 wickets. The Delhi-born leg-spinner remains active in the IPL and is one of the experienced players in its history. The leggie has 160 scalps in 150 games at 24.17 along with a solitary five-wicket haul. 2021 could be the year that he recognizes that his time in international cricket is up.

Harbhajan Singh:

Harbhajan Singh remained the first-choice spinner for India across formats for a significant period. The right-arm off-spinner is the third-highest wicket-taker for India in Test matches with 417 in 103 Tests. Harbhajan Singh was also part of India’s squad that lifted the T20 World Cup in 2007 and the 50-over trophy in 2011, playing instrumental roles in both.

However, the 40-year old has fallen out of favour due to inconsistent performances in the last few years across formats. Having debuted in 1998, the finger spinner played last donned the Indian jersey four years ago. With Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja flourishing with the ball, the selectors haven’t turned up to the veteran.

Dinesh Karthik:

Dinesh Karthik made his Test debut in 2004 and was the first-choice keeper-batsman until the selectors decided to try MS Dhoni. There was no looking back for them after that. Dinesh Karthik was still in the limited-overs squad and was part of the team that won the T20 silverware in 2007. But some inconsistencies drove him out of it too.

The 35-year old last donned the national jersey during the 2019 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand in which he managed a single-figure score. Karthik still remotely stays in the mix for India in the shortest format. And if the right-handed batsman has an excellent IPL season next year, the selectors could throw him back in the reckoning.

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