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The 12th edition of the most popular T20 league - the IPL is all set for an early kick-off this year (March 23). Much to the delight of the fans across the globe, the BCCI assured that the 2019 IPL will be held in India in spite of the Indian General Elections.
The tournament was moved out of India twice earlier, with the second edition (2009) being held in South Africa and the seventh edition partially in the United Arab Emirates with the remainder playing out in India.
With the 2019 World Cup fast approaching, several top players like Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Starc decided to withdraw ahead of the auction. Several young Indian as well as overseas players like Varun Chakravarthy, Shivam Dubey and Sam Curran who bagged lucrative contracts at the auction held at Jaipur on December 18th, 2018, are all set to make their IPL debuts this year, while a few might appear in the league for one last time.
Let us now look at five players who could play their last IPL in 2019.
#5 Murali Vijay (Chennai Super Kings)
Team India's Test opener had a horrid time with the bat last year, managing just 282 runs in 15 innings at an average of 18.80. Murali Vijay was expected to be released ahead of the 2019 IPL auction but that wasn't the case.
The three-time winners retained the experienced campaigner, who hasn't been able to regain his Midas touch with the willow. A star performer during the initial years of the IPL, Vijay left Chennai Super Kings after the 2013 IPL and joined the Delhi Daredevils for season seven (2014).
The following year, he joined Kings XI Punjab (2015-2017) before returning to his home-franchise last season for ₹2 crore. He played only one game for Chennai in which he managed just 12 runs and was left out of the team for the rest of the games as Ambati Rayudu and Shane Watson were ruthless at the top, thereby making it tougher for Vijay to break into the XI.
Though it is saddening to see a player like Vijay struggle in the tournament he once reigned supremacy in, the Tamil Nadu star who will turn 35 on April 1st is unlikely to feature in the next edition of the IPL given his recent failures with the bat.
#4 Lasith Malinga (Mumbai Indians)
The legendary Sri Lankan pacer is one of the very few players to have represented the same franchise over the years. One of the finest bowlers the game has ever witnessed, Lasith Malinga is the highest wicket-taker in the history of IPL with 154 scalps to his name at an economy of 6.86.
One of the pivotal members of the Mumbai Indians line-up, Malinga has won three IPL titles during his stint with Rohit Sharma's men. In the fourth edition of the league back in 2011 where Mumbai finished third, Malinga won the Purple Cap, finishing as the highest wicket-taker with 28 wickets in 16 matches.
The Galle-born pacer who regards Mumbai as his 'home away from home', went unsold at the 2018 IPL auction much to the surprise of everyone in the cricketing fraternity. Nevertheless, he was appointed as Mumbai's bowling mentor for that season.
After making a strong comeback for Sri Lanka, Malinga attracted interest during the 2019 IPL auction where the Mumbai Indians bought him at his base price of ₹2 crore. This IPL might probably be the speedster's last edition, as he is likely to retire after the 2019 World Cup.
#3 Wriddhiman Saha (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
The experienced wicket-keeper batsman from Bengal holds a special record in the history of IPL. In the 2014 IPL final, he became the first ever player to score a century in the summit-clash when he smashed 115* off just 55 balls (10 fours and 8 sixes) for Kings XI Punjab against the eventual winners, Kolkata Knight Riders.
The 34-year-old Wriddhiman Saha has played 115 IPL matches representing four different franchises across eleven editions. Saha, who won his only IPL title with the Chennai Super Kings back in 2011, has amassed 1679 runs at a strike-rate of 129.85 and has 56 catches, 18 stumpings to his name.
After being bought by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for ₹5 crore at the 2018 IPL auction, Saha managed just 122 runs in eleven matches for Kane Williamson's men. Having been released ahead of the 2019 auction, Saha who was one of the very few Indians with a base price of ₹1 crore and above was bought back by the Hyderabad franchise for INR 1.2 crore.
Age, fitness, the fact that he is out of favor for a place in the Indian Test XI and a proven wicket-keeper batsman like Jonny Bairstow being drafted in the SRH squad might not augur well for Saha to land another IPL contact.
#2 Imran Tahir (Chennai Super Kings)
Imran Tahir performed quite well in the 2017 IPL after replacing the injured Mitchell Marsh for the now-defunct, Rising Pune Supergiant led by Steve Smith. He scalped 18 wickets in 12 games at an economy of 7.85.
His spin web was one of the main reasons for RPS's runner-up finish in season ten, where they lost to the Mumbai Indians by just one run in the finals. The leggie was bought by the Chennai Super Kings for ₹1 crore at the 2018 IPL auctions.
Though fans regarded it as a bargain buy given his experience and credentials, Tahir failed to recreate the magic, as he managed just six wickets in six matches he played throughout the season for Dhoni's men.
With too many spinners in the armory, Tahir found it difficult to break into the XI and his economy too increased in each and every game he played. With Mitchell Santner returning this season and the fact that he will turn 40 this March, Tahir who failed to impress last season might possibly appear in his last IPL this year.
#1 Chris Gayle (Kings XI Punjab)
The 'Universe Boss' is probably the greatest batsman to have graced the shortest format of the game. When he gets going, the hapless bowlers are usually taken all over the park. Chris Gayle, who started his IPL journey with the Kolkata Knight Riders, moved to RCB in 2011 as an injury replacement, thereby making the Chinnaswamy Stadium his new fortress.
The Jamaican has amassed whopping 292 sixes in the IPL- the most by any player in the league's eleven-year history.
After his seven-year stint with the RCB, he joined Kings XI Punjab last year after being bought at his base price of ₹2 crore and amassed 368 runs in 11 matches.
Gayle, who will turn 40 this September is no younger to be suited to the T20 format and in all likelihood, the 2019 edition might be his last appearance in the IPL- a league in which he stamped his authority with the willow.
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