New Delhi. The 19th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is going to start on March 28. The opening match of IPL 2026 is to be held between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Currently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has released the schedule of only the first 20 matches. The schedule of the remaining matches is likely to come soon.
The upcoming IPL season may prove to be the last for some veteran players. These players have performed brilliantly for their teams over the years and have played an important role in taking the league to new heights. But now considering age, fitness and team combination, these players can decide to retire from IPL after the upcoming season. Let us know about five such players…
Mahendra Singh Dhoni: Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is among the most popular players of IPL. However, considering his age and fitness, it is believed that the 2026 season could be his last. Dhoni will turn 45 in July 2026. Despite knee problems in the last few seasons, he played short but effective innings and led the team to victory. CSK CEO Kasi Vishwanathan has confirmed that he will play the entire season, but many fans believe that this could be his emotional farewell season. CSK has won all five of its IPL titles under the captaincy of Dhoni.
Sunil Narine: The Caribbean bowling all-rounder has been one of the most reliable players of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He has taken 192 wickets in the IPL for Kolkata Knight Riders and has also proved himself as an explosive opener in recent years. If seen, Narine has scored 1780 runs in IPL with the bat. Narine, who is going to turn 38 in May, has already retired from international cricket. Now due to increasing age and fitness challenges, he can retire from this league as a player after IPL 2026.
Ishant Sharma: Indian fast bowler Ishaat Sharma has played for a total of 7 teams in IPL. Ishant’s international career is almost over and he is out of Team India since November 2021. Amidst the increasing competition among young fast bowlers, IPL 2026 may become the last season of their career. Ishant took 311 wickets in 105 Test matches for India and was a part of the team’s memorable victories. In the last two-three seasons of IPL, Ishant has played the role of supporting bowler. Currently, Ishant, a part of Gujarat Titans (GT), is now 37 years old and can soon take a big decision regarding his career.
Ajinkya Rahane: Technically strong batsman Ajinkya Rahane has scored 5032 runs in IPL and has played for 6 teams. The 2023 season saw his spectacular resurgence with Chennai Super Kings. Later he joined Kolkata Knight Riders. Last year he also captained Kolkata Knight Riders, where the team finished 8th. This season too, Rahane can be seen captaining Kolkata Knight Riders. This season could be the last for Rahane, who is going to turn 38 in June.
Mitchell Starc: Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc is also among those players whose future is considered uncertain after IPL 2026. Starc is counted among the most dangerous left arm fast bowlers in the world. Starc joined Delhi Capitals (DC) after playing an important role in Kolkata Knight Riders winning the title in 2024. Considering his age of 36 and the busy schedule of international cricket, he can reduce his workload, hence this could be his last season as a player in IPL. Starc has already said goodbye to T20 International and his focus is on Test and ODI cricket.
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