Top 5 players who might be playing their last IPL

With the auctions for IPL 8 taking place recently, we at EssentiallySports bring to you the top 5 players who are likely to remain unsold the next season.

5) Ashish Nehra

The 36-year old Nehra has defied all odds to make a comeback in the national side when the critics had written him off as a bowler prone to injuries who would probably never play a game again. He has always had a good outings in the IPL with career-best T20 figures of 4-0-10-4 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Nehra also finished as the third highest wicket-taker in IPL. Due to fitness issues, he has been absent from the side, but has been a part of the Indian team for two largely successful World Cup campaigns, two Asia Cups, and three Champions Trophies.

Nehra was bought by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 5.5 crores in this year’s auction, after he was called back to the Indian T20 squad. But age is not on his side and Nehra might find it hard to keep performing at the highest level as history shows that his body doesn’t hold up for long.  If history repeats itself, he may not be picked up next year.

4) Pravin Tambe

Just like Subramanium Badrinath, Tambe is a story of a missed opportunity for Indian cricket. There was a time when batsmen failed to read him and he ran through their defenses, but the cricketing world didn’t take notice.

At 41, Rajasthan Royals bought him for Rs 10,00,000 which happened to be his base price. He finished as the leading wicket-taker in the Champions League T20 in 2013 and followed it up with a brilliant IPL season in 2014 where he even took a hat-trick.

But now, at 44, the Gujarat Lions team purchased his spin bowling services for INR 20 lakhs in this auction. This might as well be a do or die season for Tambe. If he doesn’t have a good season, the Gujarat Lions might not retain him.

3) Brad Hogg

At 44,  Brad Hogg is the oldest player last year to play in the IPL. Hogg has been  a prized possession for the Kolkata Knight Riders. He confuses the batsmen with his off spinners and is handy with the bat too.

But Hogg will turn 45 this year and he might find it difficult to perform and match the standards of the youngsters in the team.  There is every chance that following his stint as a player, he may prove to be an integral part of the KKR coaching staff.

2) Rudra Pratap Singh

RP Singh was bought by the Rising Pune Supergiants for IPL 9 for his base price of INR 30 lakhs. Some people are calling him lucky because of the fact that a few ageing and retired players found no takers this time and went unsold.

But others aren’t calling it a deal but rather a steal as the Pune franchise has got the experienced pacer at such a meagre price. At 30, he has quite a few years of cricket left in him and also has fared decently in the domestic circuit. But he hasn’t been a part of the national team for sometime now.

There are also speculations that he has lost his ability to swing the ball both ways. He will be hoping to perform well this season. If he is unable to perform in this season too, then the U.P pacer may have to kiss his IPL career good bye.

1) Zaheer Khan

Zaheer Khan led the Indian pace attack for close to a decade. It was his pace and swing during the initial overs and his disciplined bowling during the slog overs that made him one of the leading bowlers of his time. He even mentored the young bowling brigade of India and came to be known as bowling captain.

But Zaheer had a career full of injuries and with age not on his side, it was tough for him to cope up with the pressures of international cricket. Though he was retained by the Delhi Daredevils this year, at 37, he would struggle again for form and fitness after being out of action for some time now.

If he doesn’t perform this season, the DD might let him go next year and it will be difficult for him to find any buyers and the world may be deprived of the ‘Zak attack ‘.