3 players who have featured in every edition but won't be part of IPL 2025 ft. Dinesh Karthik 

The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to kick off on March 22 with defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) locking horns against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the season opener.

The tournament has gone from strength to strength with each passing year and it promises to be another high octane season. Not many expected the tournament to become a regular feature in the international calendar during its inception in 2008.

Seven players have played in all 17 seasons of the IPL. However, three of these players won't be part of the upcoming season.

Here are the three players who have featured in every edition but won't be part of IPL 2025:

# 3. Wriddhiman Saha

Wriddhiman Saha played in all the first 17 IPL seasons. Source: Getty

The former Indian wicket-keeper has been part of the cash-rich league since its inception in 2008, but won't be part of the 2025 edition. He called it quits from all forms of cricket after the conclusion of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season.

Arguably the greatest gloveman to have emerged from India, Saha played 40 Tests for India besides playing for five different franchises in the IPL. He started his IPL career for the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2008 and represented them until 2010.

He was then snapped up by the Chennai Super Kings ahead of the 2011 season and played for them until 2013. However, due to the presence of MS Dhoni, he had to warm the bench for the majority of these three seasons.

Saha then played four years each for the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) and the Sunrisers Hyderabad before ending his IPL career with the Gujarat Titans. He was part of the Titans squad during their debut in 2022 and played his last season in 2024.

# 2. Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. Source: Getty

Former Punjab Kings captain Shikhar Dhawan announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in August 2024. He felt that he didn't have the inspiration left to play in the domestic circuit before.

“The last two years of my career, I wasn't playing much international cricket, and I was playing IPL to IPL. So, I wasn't playing much overall," Dhawan said.

The southpaw made his IPL debut in the inaugural season for the Delhi Daredevils (now the Delhi Capitals). He then represented the Mumbai Indians from 2009 to 10 before being snapped up by the Deccan Chargers from 2011 to 12.

The swashbuckling left-handed batter kept shifting bases but eventually became an integral part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) from 2013. He represented them until 2018, before moving back to the Delhi Capitals in 2019. From 2022, Dhawan represented the Punjab Kings and played his last season in 2024.

# 1. Dinesh Karthik

One of the stalwarts of the IPL, Dinesh Karthik played his last and final season in 2024 before calling it quits from professional cricket in June 2024. However, he reversed his decision and played for the Paarl Royals in the SA20 earlier this year.

Karthik played in 257 IPL matches, representing six different franchises in the process. He started his IPL career with the Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) and played for them in the first three seasons. He then returned to play for them yet again in 2014.

Karthik then represented the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in 2011 before moving to the Mumbai Indians from 2012 to 13. In 2016 and 2017, Karthik played for the now-defunct Gujarat Lions and for RCB in 2015. He was named the Kolkata Knight Riders captain during his association with the franchise from 2018 to 21.

He ended his IPL career with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, representing them from 2022 to 24 and redefined himself as a finisher for the franchise.