A few days are left for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to start. This time’s IPL glory can be in the name of young players like Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Prashant Veer and Karthik Sharma. Vaibhav thrilled the audience with his batting while making his debut in the last IPL season. He created a sensation by scoring a century in 35 balls. It is expected that Vaibhav will score runs with his bat this season also. By playing a brilliant innings of 175 runs in the Under-19 World Cup final, he has also indicated that this season will be his only. He will once again be seen playing for Rajasthan Royals.
Prashant Veer and Karthik Sharma, the two most expensive uncapped players in IPL history, will also be desperate to leave their mark. Both of them have been bought by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for Rs 14.2-14.2 crore. CSK’s Ayush Mhatre would also like to show the magic of his bat on the big stage, who made Team India win the Under-19 World Cup under his captaincy. Amidst this youthful enthusiasm, take a look at those 5 older players on whom everyone’s eyes will be in the upcoming season.
Also read: Neither RCB nor CSK… This team has hit the most sixes in one season of IPL.
MS Dhoni (44 years)
CSK legend Mahendra Singh Dhoni is about to turn 45 but his influence is still intact in IPL. Fans flock to get a glimpse of him. Like every season, this time too it is believed that this will be his last season. In such a situation, the flood of his fans is going to increase once again. Dhoni’s fans were somewhat angry with him last season because he was coming to bat very low. This time all eyes are on whether he plays the entire season or not. If he plays, what will be his role in CSK team?
Rohit Sharma (38 years)
This IPL is going to be important for Rohit Sharma, who is now playing only in ODI format for Team India. According to reports, the Indian team management is going to keep a close eye on all the players involved in the plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup. If Rohit does not make IPL 2026 big then perhaps his World Cup dream may be shattered. Rohit is not known for scoring big runs in IPL but this time he needs a season of 600 plus runs, so that he can remain in the race for the World Cup.
Also read: From Prashant Veer to Mangesh Yadav… these 5 uncapped players can create a stir
Sunil Narayan (37 years)
Sunil Narayan, who has been playing for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) since the beginning of his IPL career, has a big responsibility this time too. Troubled by the retirement of Andre Russell and injuries to key fast bowlers, the KKR team will have hopes from Sunil Narayan. In a way, the key to KKR’s success lies in their hands. Whenever this team has become champion, Sunil Narayan’s performance in that season has been tremendous. In such a situation, KKR fans will once again be expecting a miraculous performance from this Caribbean all-rounder.
Ajinkya Rahane – 37 years
This season is no less than a litmus test for veteran batsman Ajinkya Rahane, who is out of the Indian team. He has once again been given the command of KKR. Last season, under the captaincy of Rahane, KKR finished eighth. This time Rahane has to lead the team to victory not only through captaincy but also through leadership. If his and the team’s performance is not good then perhaps Rahane’s IPL career may end here.
Ravindra Jadeja – 36 years
The franchise has high expectations from senior all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who is returning to Rajasthan Royals after 17 years. Jadeja has done wonders for CSK with ball and bat for a long time. Rajasthan Royals fans will also be expecting the same unmatched performance from him. Like Rohit, this IPL season is very important for Jadeja too. In view of the 2027 ODI World Cup, Jadeja will have to improve in both the departments, only then things will be fine for him.
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