IPL 2019: Four players who might have played their last IPL

The biggest extravaganza of T20 cricket- IPL, lived up to its expectations of being the most exciting T20 league in the World with a breathtaking final that had everyone up on the edge of their seats till the last ball. Needing 2 runs to win off the last ball, Shardul Thakur couldn’t connect with Malinga’s off cutter and Mumbai went on to lift the trophy for the fourth time.

The 12th edition was one of the most competitive seasons of the IPL. The usual suspects, Mumbai Indians & Chennai Super Kings were again there at the top while Delhi Capitals surprised everyone with a wonderful campaign. Kolkata Knight Riders couldn’t produce a consistent run this time around and missed out on the playoffs while Kings XI Punjab and the Royal Challengers Bangalore had yet another disappointing campaign.

As teams start to build for the next edition of the IPL, let us take a look at four players who we might not get to see again in the IPL.

1. Yusuf Pathan

Yusuf Pathan failed to get going this year

Once a hard-hitting batsman and a useful off-spinner, Yusuf Pathan's stock has fallen over the last few years in the IPL. He was a part of the 2007 and 2011 World Cup winning squads. But the 36-year old Baroda all-rounder has lost his Midas touch with the bat. Yusuf could only score 40 runs from 8 outings this year in the IPL. Although he is still good against the spinners, his strike rate against the fast bowlers hasn’t been up to the mark. With the ball, he bowled a solitary over this year in the match against the Mumbai Indians.

In the field as well, Yusuf is more of a liability, dropping some fairly easy chances this year in the IPL. It won't be surprising to see the Hyderabad franchise parting ways with Yusuf after another year of below-par performances. They will be looking to bolster their middle order with a proven name.

2. Lasith Malinga-

Malinga's fragile body may hamper his chances next year

Lasith Malinga has been the most successful bowler in the history of IPL with 170 wickets to his name. Malinga’s toe-crushing yorkers to go along with his well disguised slow balls have caught many batsmen off-guard. The veteran Sri Lankan fast bowler has been included in Sri Lanka’s squad for the 2019 World Cup. With age not on his side and recurring knee injuries, it is likely that it will be his last appearance in ODIs.

Malinga of today is not the same bowler anymore. The injuries have had their toll. Malinga picked 13 wickets from 9 games this year. These are not bad numbers but they appear below par if one looks at his performances over the years in the IPL. He was very expensive in the final against Chennai but redeemed himself with a brilliant last over, defending 9 runs to hand Mumbai the trophy. With youngsters like Jason Behrendorff and Alzari Joseph impressing, it would be interesting to see if Malinga returns next year to play for Mumbai.

3. Shane Watson-

Shane Watson struggled with the bat this year.

Shane Watson was the star of the show during last year’s IPL, scoring a match-winning hundred in the final. Everyone was expecting Watson to continue where he left off last year but it was not to be. Watson struggled to get going during the initial stages of the IPL. After going through a poor run of form, everyone expected CSK to drop him from the playing XI but, MS Dhoni had faith in ‘Watto’. Watson himself admitted that he would have been dropped by any other team in the World.

Although he did score two fifties in the playoffs, his returns of 398 runs from 17 innings do not inspire much confidence. He didn’t bowl this year as Dhoni preferred to go to his spinners than the fast bowlers. With his batting form against him and an aging body to deal with, Watson is likely to be dropped from the squad next year by CSK.

4. Yuvraj Singh-

Yuvraj Singh struggles against the fast bowling.

There was a time when Yuvraj Singh was the cleanest hitter of the cricket ball in World cricket. He single-handedly won India the 2007 T20 World Cup with some breathtaking performances. However, ever since returning to the cricket field after his battle against cancer, Yuvraj has been a shadow of the player he once was. The strengths in his forearms have faded over the years. He has been circumspect to fast bowling with the fast bowlers targeting him with short balls.

Bought by the Mumbai team this year at the base price of Rs 1 crore, Yuvraj started the season with a stylish fifty against Delhi Capitals. In the following three matches, he had only 23, 18 and 4 runs to his name. He was subsequently dropped in favour of Ishan Kishan and didn’t get to play any game afterward. With age not on his side, it seems that we may have seen the end of Yuvraj Singh in the Indian Premier League.