IPL Auction 2018: 5 oldest foreigners on the auction list

For aging men with creaking bones and receding reflexes, playing Test cricket and 50-over games for sustained periods might be too tall a task to accomplish, but T20s present the opportunity to strut their stuff for a short period and earn fat paychecks.

The IPL is one of the tournaments that has helped retired, as well the 'set-to-retire' and 'yet-to-retirees' a chance to still enjoy the game and accumulate some vacation money.

As the auction is just around the corner, here's enlisting the old warhorses who are ready to vie for a spot with the zealous youngsters for a spot in the playing XI.

Note: Brendon McCullum, Mitchell Johnson, and Shane Watson are also 36, but lose out by a matter of months.

#5 Samuel Badree (36 years, 10 months)

Of the very few bright spots that adorned Royal Challengers Bangalore's dark and dismal IPL 2017 campaign was a brilliant hat-trick by Samuel Badree, the first of last year's edition.

More than turn, Badree relies on accuracy, throwing in his leggies with ample dollops of the wrong 'un. Part of the victorious West Indian World T20 squad in both 2012 and 2016, Badree played for Rajasthan Royals in 2013, before moving to Chennai Super Kings in 2014, eventually moving to Royal Challengers Bangalore two years later.

All-rounder Rayad Emrit, one of the 36 West Indians in the auctions, shares his birthdate with Badree. He made his international debut way back in 2007 against India and got to play just one more game after that, before being left in the wilderness. Now a T20 merchant, he would be hoping to gain a spot in one of the franchises with his base price at Rs. 50 Lakh.

#4 Marlon Samuels (36 years 11 months)

Samuels started his IPL career with the Pune Warriors

It seems as if Marlon Samuels has been international cricket forever. The veteran all-rounder made his debut for the West Indies in 2000 and was earmarked for a bright future for the country. While his career never took off as it promised, Samuels has hung around, delivering clutch performances through strings of inconsistency.

Not a compulsive hitter of the ball, Samuels can anchor the innings together when needed, although his bowling has been forever shrouded with the stigma of chucking.

He made his IPL debut with the Pune Warriors in 2012 and played eight games for the side. He was part of the Delhi Daredevils until last year, called in as a replacement for the injured Quinton de Kock.

Even at Rs. 50 Lakh, accommodating Samuels, who'll turn 37 by the time the IPL starts, by one of the franchises, seems fairly unlikely.

#3 Michael Klinger (37 years 6 months)

A late bloomer, Michael Klinger is one of the many domestic stalwarts who took an eternity to break into the national side. For Klinger, the distinction came at the age of 36, after a successful season with Perth Scorchers that made them BBL champions last year.

A combative batsman who can rack up quick runs in the initial overs, Klinger has been battling with a personal tragedy recently, having been informed that his wife has been diagnosed with cancer, which forced him to take a small break from the ongoing BBL.

He got a chance with Kochi Tuskers Kerala in 2011, and by the time he had reached his mid-thirties, he had transformed his game to become a limited-overs specialist, although his batting isn't as flashy as some of his contemporaries.

If Klinger can realize his Australian dream at 36, he could well get a call-up from one of the franchises, although his base price of Rs. 1.5 crore might put a frown or two on the owners' faces.

#2 Chris Gayle (38 years 4 months)

The man refuses to fade away, despite increasing questions about his progressing age and the lack of regular match practice, coupled with numerous injury issues. When he seemed like a spent force and an unlikely contender for an IPL spot, Gayle smothered a century in the Bangladesh Premier League finals, the fastest in the history of the tournament.

The undisputed champion of T20s, Gayle is in a league of his own, and last year, completed 10,000 runs in the shortest format while playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore last year.

Before creating an unassailable legacy for RCB, Gayle played for the Kolkata Knight Riders and is currently the seventh-highest run-getter in the entire history of the tournament.

His current form is a cause of worry, and his base price the highest in the bracket, but the IPL continues to be synonymous with a blistering, marauding Chris Gayle.

#1 Imran Tahir (38 years 10 months)

Tahir in the middle of his trademark celebration

Leg-spin in T20s is a trove for any team: the attacking nature of the bowling is the best way to negate the slam-bang nature of batting that often crushes attacks beyond repair. Imran Tahir is a brilliant proponent of the art and has been at top-notch levels ever since he made his (albeit late) international debut in 2011.

A tall leg-spinner with the ability to extract rip off the surface, Tahir's nagging lines have stifled the best of batsmen, with the googly being his most sought-after weapon of destruction. The wild celebration that invariably follows is a sight to capture.

He was the No.1 T20 bowler in the world when Tahir was snubbed in the IPL auctions last year, but came back in style for the Rising Pune Supergiant as a replacement for the injured Mitchell Marsh, and made his mark with 18 wickets from 12 games. Before that, he played for the Delhi Daredevils from 2014 to 2016.

At Rs. 1 crore, Tahir could start off a bidding war, despite being the oldest foreigner in the auctions.