5 famous Indian cricketers whose career might end in 2017

Gautam Gambhir

Gambhir has a settled opening pair and several youngsters to contend with for a spot in Tests

With over 10,000 runs for India across all formats, there can be little denying Gautam Gambhir’s place as one of India’s finest openers. The gritty southpaw has bailed India out on countless occasions but with India settling on an opening pair in Tests and youngsters performing well in the domestic circuit, Gambhir’s time might be up.

While the 35-year-old is still in great form with the bat as was evident from his domestic performances in the ongoing season, his competition is likely to be the reason for his retirement. Despite his impressive performances in the IPL, it is in the longest format that he is likely to play for India again.

But with Murali Vijay and KL Rahul as the established opening pair in Tests and the likes of PK Panchal and Abhinav Mukund, who are nearly a decade younger than Gambhir showing a lot of consistency in the domestic circuit, they might get the nod next time, should an injury arises or if a back-up is necessary.