It might be the last IPL for these players
Several marquee names like Martin Guptill, Lasith Malinga, Hashim Amla and Dale Steyn went unsold at the IPL 2018 auction. This is indicative of the fact that the franchises are more interested in young talent. They believe youngsters are more suitable for the shortest format of cricket. In this context, here is our list of ageing players for might not feature in 2019 IPL.
Harbhajan Singh unlikely to get playing time in 2019
Harbhajan Singh was a part of the Mumbai Indians squad from 2008 till the last season. The veteran, with 127 wickets in his kitty, was not picked up by the Mumbai side in 2018. He will be seen playing for Chennai Super Kings. With no hope of an international comeback, at 37, Harbhajan might retire before the 2019 edition of IPL.
Chris Gayle is no more a hot property
The T20 hitman Chris Gayle has been one of the most ballistic batsmen to have graced the IPL. The batsman holds the record for the highest T20 score in an innings (175*). But his aura has diminished in recent years. In 2018 auction, he got sold only in the third round. The big man may not find feature in Playing XI in 2019.
Imran Tahir: The oldest IPL player in 2018 edition
At 38, Imran Tahir is the oldest IPL player in this season. The South African bowler, who began his IPL career very late, has 47 wickets from 32 IPL matches. He will don yellow and join the likes of MS Dhoni at Chennai Super Kings, this season. Come 2019, the ageing spinner will most likely warm the bench.
Aussie great Shane Watson
Shane Watson had a good stint with the Rajasthan Royals, before they were suspended from the league. He then went on to play for Royal Challengers Bangalore but could not replicate his success with them. It's a surprise that he even got picked by the Chennai team this year. The next year, he may not get lucky.
Mitchell Johnson: The fearsome speedster
With age not on his side, we may see the last of the Aussie speedster Mitchell Johnson in 2018 IPL. Johnson, once the most feared bowler, has 59 wickets from 48 appearances and will don KKR's jersey this season. Nobody, except KKR, had bid for him in 2018 and hence he was bought for his base price of Rs. 2 crore.
