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6 cricketers may retire after ipl: A confluence of thrill and emotions will be seen in the IPL starting from March 28. In the very first match of the tournament, defending champion Royal Challengers Bangalore will face Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Everyone's eyes are on legends like MS Dhoni, Ajinkya Rahane and Mitchell Starc. This is the season of 'do or die' for these stars who have crossed the age of 36-37.
The relationship between Chennai Super Kings and MS Dhoni is unbreakable. 'Captain Cool', who won five IPL titles, is now at that stage of his career where every match starts with speculations of his retirement. Dhoni, who held the captaincy for some time in the absence of Ruturaj Gaikwad last season, has crossed the age of 44.
This year, CSK has included Sanju Samson (Player of the Tournament of the T20 World Cup) in its team, who is being seen as Dhoni's successor. Will Dhoni, who has scored 5,439 runs in 278 matches, depart with the trophy this time? This question is in the mind of every cricket lover.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has once again expressed confidence in Ajinkya Rahane and kept him as the captain. But for 37-year-old Rahane, this season is no less than a litmus test. Batting form is the biggest challenge for Rahane, who has scored 5,032 runs in 198 matches. If he does not score runs this season, it will be difficult for any other franchise to associate him with him at this stage of his career. For him, IPL 2026 is not only a fight for captaincy but also for survival.
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According to media reports, KKR once again wants to show its trust on experienced Ajinkya Rahane. Rahane has long experience of captaining Team India in domestic cricket and IPL. Apart from this, Rahane is also a very effective player on Indian pitches. Last season, Rahane was one of the highest run-scorers for KKR. Rahane scored 390 runs in 13 matches for KKR in IPL 2025.
Sunil Narine, who has been loyal to Kolkata Knight Riders for more than a decade, is now 37 years old. His journey from a mysterious spinner to an explosive opener has been unmatched. However, now a batch of young all-rounders is ready for the T20 format. Narine's economy and wicket-taking ability are unmatched even today, but considering his age and fitness, this may prove to be his last season.
The pace and swing of Australia's deadly bowler Mitchell Starc (36 years) is still a challenge for the batsmen. Starc has often stayed away from the IPL due to workload management and international schedule commitments. IPL 2026 could be the last chapter of franchise cricket for this king of powerplay and death overs.
37 year old experienced pacer Ishant Sharma had given away a lot of runs for Gujarat Titans last season. The economy above 11 is putting a question mark on his career. His future depends on his performance this season.
Punjab Kings have retained Marcus Stoinis at a huge price of Rs 11 crore. The 36-year-old Australian all-rounder has the ability to win matches, but lack of consistency can cost him dearly. If this season is a flop for Punjab, then the doors of IPL may be closed for Stoinis.
