IPL 2021: Veterans XI Of The First Phase

The remainder of IPL 2021 is set to resume in September this year in the UAE — and this will be a good opportunity for the veterans to show that they still have got the goods in them to deliver. The suspension of IPL 2021 in the midway would have already given them time to think about their retirement too.

Approaching the later stages of the career, it is very important that they enjoy the game and not just deal with the pressures of the age factor. Their fitness will be a major issue too, but they will be looking to finish their IPL career with a bang in some days time. Here are the Veterans XI of the first stage of the IPL 2021.

Veterans XI Of The First Stage:

Chris Gayle:

The Universe Boss is almost 42 years old and he still looks like he can have a great impact for the side with his clinical hitting. Gayle was assigned a different role at number three for the Punjab Kings and he managed to score 178 runs in 8 matches.

Gayle is still in the scheme of things for the T20 World Cup for West Indies and his name was recently added to the West Indies T20 international side. The second phase of IPL could be very handy for Gayle and he will have a big role to play if Punjab has to make it to the playoffs.

Faf du Plessis:

The former South African captain Faf du Plessis has been batting brilliantly at the top of the order alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad for the CSK franchise. Du Plessis who announced his retirement from tests has been concentrating mainly on the limited-overs game and will be an important player for South Africa in the T20 World cup this year.

The 36-year-old finished as the highest run-getter for the franchise with 320 runs in 7 games and also third in the race for the orange cap. His impact at the top of the order has been immense to the successful campaign for CSK this year.

AB de Villiers:

AB de Villiers is one of the best batsmen to have played the game and he still has the spark in him to keep performing despite having retired from international cricket. The 37-year-old is the best example of age being just a number and he may go on to play for few more years in IPL.

AB de Villiers produced two match-winning performances this season already and he looks well set to set the stage on fire again when IPL resumes. De Villiers scored 207 runs in the 7 games he played and he had to hold the middle order as a wicket-keeper batsman for RCB apart from finishing the games.

MS Dhoni:

MS Dhoni hasn’t been playing any professional cricket since his retirement from his international cricket and has been only playing the IPL for the Chennai Super Kings which has taken a toll on his performances.

Dhoni wasn’t in the best of touch this year with the bat but he did excel with his captaincy taking the franchise to second in the table after a poor season last year. The 39-year-old could manage just 37 runs this season and will be looking to have a better second phase in September with the bat.

Kedar Jadhav:

Kedar Jadhav was picked up by the Sunrisers Hyderabad this year at the last moments of the IPL Auction for his base price and the veteran batsmen have been out of favour from the Indian limited-overs side since the last one year or so.

Jadhav hasn’t been at his best in the last two IPL seasons and he has faced a lot of criticism over it. However, his international numbers are really good and the 36-year-old should start believing in his abilities a lot more. Jadhav scored 40 runs in the 4 games he played this season.

Mohammad Nabi:

The Afghanistan all-rounder, Mohammad Nabi is one of the most experienced T20 players going around and he can have a great impact on any franchise with his off-spin bowling and his batting abilities in the middle order.

The 36-year-old played just two games this season for Sunrisers Hyderabad and he scored 31 runs. He had to miss out mostly, with the team balance being affected and he will be itching to contribute more in the second phase when he gets a chance.

Dwayne Bravo:

The West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo had come out of retirement to play for the West Indies side in the T20 Worldcup this year and he can be a match-winner for any side he plays.

The 37-year-old has picked up a lot of wickets in T20 cricket and he does possess a lot of variations up his sleeve. He is very good in the death overs and played just the four games this season for the Chennai Super Kings.

Dan Christian:

Dan Christian is a name that most of the T20 franchises have always wanted in their side around the globe and the veteran Australian is a T20 specialist with his variations while bowling and his aggressive batting in the middle order.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore picked up Dan Christian in the auction this year and a lot was expected out of him. But the 38-year-old failed to produce the performances and was subsequently dropped from the playing XI.

Harbhajan Singh:

Harbhajan Singh has still not announced his retirement from international cricket and he was picked by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the auction this year. He played the first few games for KKR but couldn’t contribute much.

The 40-year-old is one of the greatest spinners to have played the game for the country and he has always been among the wickets in IPL too. He can be very good at turning tracks and can still play a role for the KKR side in the second phase.

Amit Mishra:

Amit Mishra is still bowling those loopy leg spinners and he is one of the best bowlers in IPL overall. He is second in the list of top wicket-takers in IPL history and has picked up three hattricks which are extraordinary.

The 38-year-old has been in really good form for the Delhi Capitals and picked up 6 wickets in the 4 games he played. He can be a match-winner for any franchise and still has a lot of cricket left in him.

Imran Tahir:

The South African veteran leg spinner Imran Tahir is a very clever bowler in T20 cricket and he is a game-changer. He picks up a lot of wickets and his variations have always been effective.

The balance of the side has not allowed Tahir into the playing XI and he played just one game this season picking up two wickets. The 42-year-old might be playing his last IPL despite his hard work on fitness and he needs to have some match time in the second phase.