5 Players Who Have Delayed Their Retirement Due To IPL 2021 Postponement

IPL 2021 had to be stopped indefinitely in the midway amid the increasing number of Covid-19 cases inside the bio bubble and the resumption of the tournament might take time. This has brought about a change in the plans of certain players who were on the verge of retirement.

With the possibilities of the mega auction coming next year, it would have been the end of the road when the IPL 2021 gets completed for some of the veteran players, however now they might have to wait till this edition resumes. It will give them a lot of time to think about their future post-retirement too and here are 5 players who have delayed their retirement due to IPL 2021 postponement.

5 Players Who Have Delayed Their Retirement:

Harbhajan Singh:

The veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was picked up by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the auction 2021 and he played three games without taking a wicket. He was used by Eoin Morgan as a powerplay bowler at times and even as a death bowler with his experience. He did not have much impact in this season and was dropped after that.

Harbhajan hasn’t been playing domestic cricket and IPL has been his only limelight. The 40-year-old made his debut in international cricket 23 years back and hasn’t announced his retirement from any form of the game. He was one of the match winners in IPL and has picked up 150 wickets in 163 matches at an excellent economy rate of 7.07. The IPL 2021 postponement might have just delayed the retirement of Harbhajan Singh for sure.

Dan Christian:

Dan Christian is one of the most experienced T20 all-rounders going around in the world and he has been part of various franchises across the globe. He is a seasoned campaigner and his performance in the recent Big Bash League was outstanding which attracted a lot of franchises this auction. He was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Auction 2021 for 4.8 crores.

The 38-year-old looked totally out of socks in the recent IPL with a lot of failures. He was backed by the management to do the job at number six as the finisher but he could manage just 3 runs in 3 matches. His bowling was also ineffective with the wickets column being empty and he was expensive too. It was time to pack up his boots in IPL until the tournament was suspended and this might just allow him to get back to his best form.

Amit Mishra:

Amit Mishra is one of the most successful bowlers in IPL history and is the second overall highest wicket-taker in the tournament. He had to always stay in the shadow of Anil Kumble when it comes to international cricket but he showed that he is a game-changer with the ball in the cash-rich tournament.

The 38-year-old played for the Delhi Capitals this IPL and picked up 6 wickets in the 4 games he played. He was always a wicket-taking bowler and looks to deceive the batsman through his flight. He has picked up 166 IPL wickets in 154 games at an economy rate of 7.35. His retirement is on the cards any time but the IPL 2021 postponement might just have delayed it.

Imran Tahir:

Imran Tahir is still a match-winner with the ball and he has been playing franchise cricket all around the globe after his retirement from international cricket. He is part of the Chennai Super Kings squad at present and he is extremely effective in any conditions with his googlies.

He played just one game this season despite an overseas slot being open at times and managed to pick up 2 wickets. The 42-year-old is still working hard to stay with the game even if it is T20s and his numbers are phenomenal in IPL. He has played 59 IPL games picking up 82 wickets at an average of 20.8. He might consider retiring from IPL after the 2021 season ends with the age factor.

MS Dhoni:

MS Dhoni is one of the best in the business when it comes to limited-overs cricket and he is playing IPL only post-retirement from the international games. He played 7 games this season and could manage only 37 runs which are very poor compared to his overall stats in the IPL. He doesn’t look like having the same impact with the bat down the order he used to have and might look for other options as a mentor next year.

Dhoni played 211 IPL games overall and has scored 4669 at an average of 40.2 with a strike rate of 136.6. He captained the franchise to the tabletop this season and despite that, he is unlikely to be retained if the mega auction takes place next season. He is on the verge of retiring from IPL any time and the IPL 2021 postponement might just have delayed it.