Three players who may retire after Indian T20 League 2022

The Indian T20 League is considered as the best franchise cricket tournament. The cash-rich league has brought the biggest stars of the game under one roof over the years. The legends of modern cricket have graced the tournament and many of them have revolutionized the game. Three such names that have played an important role in taking the tournament to its greatest heights are – MS Dhoni, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo. All the three players have already called it quits from the international arena and with age not being on their side, this might well be the last season of the Indian T20 League that they are playing.

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Let us take a look at the illustrious careers of the three legends.

1. MS Dhoni: MS Dhoni has been a part of the Indian T20 League since the inception of the tournament. He  led Chennai in all their previous seasons before stepping down from the role ahead of ITL 2022. Notably, in the two editions of the tournament where Chennai was suspended from the tournament, Dhoni was a part of the now-defunct Pune franchise.

In an ITL career spanning 15 years, MSD has played 228 matches scoring 4878 runs in them. His has an average of 39.66 in the tournament and has a strike rate of 135.76 in his career. He also has 24 half-centuries to his name. While records tell us that he has been a legend of the tournament, they fail to show us the importance of some of the knocks he played for his team.

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Besides rescuing his team from danger innumerable times, he has also led the men in yellow with great strategic acumen. Under his leadership, Chennai played 9 ITL finals and won the title four times. Although there is no doubt regarding his fitness and cricketing mind, being aged 40 now, this might well be his last year in the tournament.

2. Kieron Pollard: Not only Indian T20 League, but Pollard has been a revolution in T20 cricket, who has made the shortest format of the game popular all over the world. His power hitting has changed the complexion of many matches. Fans have always placed their bet on him whenever his team required something unreal.

Pollard joined Mumbai in 2010 and since then has played in Indian T20 League for the same franchise. In his ITL career of 13 years, he has played 186 matches and has scored 3383 runs. Over such a long period, he has maintained a strike rate of 148.9, which is way over impressive. He has also picked up 68 wickets in the tournament with the ball in hand. KP has been a great asset to the Mumbai team but aging 34 now and visibly being well past his prime, this might well be his last ITL. Notably, he has been an important part of the five title-winning efforts of Mumbai.

3. Dwayne Bravo: Dwayne Bravo is the other name along with Pollard, who has played a major role in popularizing the shortest format of the game throughout the world. He made his debut in the ITL in 2008 for Mumbai. Later in 2011, he was picked up by the Chennai team.

Bravo has played a great role with both the bat and ball for Chennai in three of their title wins since joining the team. In his career of 159 matches, he has scored 1547 runs at a strike rate of 130.22 and has also picked up 181 wickets. He is currently the highest wicket-taker in the history of the tournament. He is a true example of a multi-dimensional cricketer, being equally competent in all the departments of the game. But now aged 38, Bravo might well be playing his ITL season.