The IPL teams have announced the names of the released and retained players which means that the IPL fever is back. Even though there are three months to go for the tournament, there is a buzz about the new season as big players have been released from some franchises. One notable name from the list is Lasith Malinga who was not only released but has also retired from franchise cricket. Malinga has been a T20 and an IPL legend as he is the leading wicket-taker in the history of the league.
He was there for the Mumbai Indians whenever they needed him and his last ball in the IPL was a slower ball which got rid of Shardul Thakur and MI won the trophy in 2019. All cricket fans will miss the master of the yorker as he won’t be seen in the IPL. He is the latest to retire from the league but there have been greats who have retired in the last few years. So, let’s have a look at an all-time IPL XI of retired players.
Openers(IPL) – Sachin Tendulkar & Adam Gilchrist
Sachin Tendulkar and Adam Gilchrist opening the batting together, what a combination it would be. Sachin Tendulkar has scored more than 2300 IPL runs while opening for Mumbai Indians and he even won the Orange Cap in 2010. On the other hand, Adam Gilchrist has scored has 2069 runs at a strike-rate of 138.39. Gilchrist led the Deccan Chargers to the trophy in 2009.
Both of them will form a right-left combination which will work perfectly in the powerplay. Tendulkar and Gilchrist can form an iconic partnership up at the top and it would have been fun to watch them bat together.
Middle-order(IPL) – Gautam Gambhir, Shane Watson
Gautam Gambhir and Shane Watson – two IPL legends can make up the middle-order. Both these players have been in pressure situations and more importantly delivered in such situations. Gambhir has scored more than 4200 runs at an average of 31.23 in the IPL and Shane Watson has been a true match-winner.
Shane Watson has scored 3874 runs at an average of 30.99 and a strike-rate of 137.91 with four centuries out of which one came in the 2018 IPL Final where he just blew away the SRH bowlers. He has also picked up 92 wickets in his IPL career. Gambhir and Watson make up a strong middle-order with some power hitters to follow.
Lower Middle-order – Subramaniam Badrinath, Yuvraj Singh, and Albie Morkel
Subramaniam Badrinath is one of the most underrated cricketers in the IPL and he can be used as a floater. If there are quick wickets, he can be sent up the order whereas if the team has got a good start then he can be pushed down the order and that’s exactly the role that he played for CSK throughout his IPL career. Yuvraj Singh might not be an IPL great but he has had his moments in the IPL. He was an integral part of the 2016 SRH side which won the IPL and he played some great knocks coming down the order.
Albie Morkel is one of those players who can be highly effective in a T20 game and has been effective in the Indian premier league. Coming lower down the order, he can smash the bowlers in the stands and he can even swing the ball upfront which is always a weapon in T20 cricket. These three players will form a great combination in the lower middle-order.
Bowlers – Pragyan Ojha, Anil Kumble, Ashish Nehra and Lasith Malinga
Pragyan Ojha had won the Purple Cap in 2009 for Deccan Chargers, and he has picked up 89 wickets in his IPL career at an economy rate of 7.36. He is a bowler who can outsmart the batsman with his dip and turn. The role of the second spinner can be played by Anil Kumble, who has 45 wickets in just 42 games at an economy rate of 6.57 with the best figures of 5 for 5.
Being a left-arm pacer, Ashish Nehra can bring in the early swing with the new ball. Nehra has picked up more than 100 wickets in his IPL career with a decent economy rate of 7.84. An all-time IPL XI of retired players can’t be complete without the legend Lasith Malinga who has picked up 170 wickets in just 122 games at an economy rate of 7.14. There is no doubt that he is the finest bowler to have played in the Indian premier league.
