IPL 2019: The oldest player in each of the 8 IPL teams 

IPL 2019 is right around the corner and the 2019 IPL auctions have given everyone a clear picture of how all the 8 IPL teams look like. While the teams have grabbed a host of young blood in the auctions, they also have retained and bought some experienced versatile cricketers.

Much like how the young blood is required for the vibrancy of the team, the experience is much required to have a cool calm head and deal with pressure situations. While many teams have gone for youth over experience, many other teams prefer experience over youth. Chennai Super Kings is a ready-made example for the latter and they have proven that their formula works out well in the last season.

Here In this article, let us now try to see who all are the oldest players in the 8 IPL teams and see how old they are and what exactly they bring to the table.

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#8 Dinesh Karthik (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Age - 33

DOB - 01/06/1985

Dinesh Karthik (Right) with the Knight riders management at IPL 2019 auctions

The captain of the Kolkata team is the oldest person in the squad. He is 33 years old and is slightly older than the vice-captain Robin Uthappa who incidentally is also 33 years old.

After being appointed the captain of KKR in the last season, Karthik has been a revelation. He has risen up to the occasion and the Kolkata management never had to worry about the exit of Gautam Gambhir. The performances were pretty decent and the Kolkata reached the playoffs of the last IPL season.

Karthik brings to the table a street smart way of captaining apart from being useful behind the stumps for the team. Being a player whose career, unfortunately, coincided with MS Dhoni, he did not receive much appreciation and recognition in his prime years. But he surprised everyone when he bloomed late and started to pull off magical finishing touches for the Indian team.

Dinesh Karthik is the oldest and perhaps the most important vital cog of the Kolkata Knight Riders camp.

#7 Stuart Binny (Rajasthan Royals)

Age - 34

DOB - 03/06/1984

Stuart Binny might be looking to have a rebirth in IPL 2019 season

Stuart Binny is the oldest player in the Rajasthan Royals camp. Rajasthan has an overall young lineup with only 4 players being 30 or 30+. Among these 4 players, Stuart Binny is the only player who is 30+.

Once regarded as India's answer to the conundrum of having a fast bowling allrounder, Binny did have some success for India. His bowling spell against Bangladesh where he picked up 6 wickets for 4 runs defending a low scoring game was exceptional. But with the emergence of Hardik Pandya and Vijay Shankar, Binny seems to have faded away into the oblivion. He is still part of the Rajasthan Royals squad but did not have an impact-making performance in the last IPL season.

On his day, Binny can be an effective finisher. But he needs to prove to the world that he can still do it. IPL 2019 will be the perfect platform to showcase his skillset or else he risks losing his place to Shubham Ranjane or any other allrounders that the Royals have in their bag.

#6 AB de Villiers (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Age - 34

DOB - 17/02/1984

AB de Villiers doesn't need any captions for introduction over here.

AB de Villiers is the oldest player in the RCB squad. He is presently 34 years old and will be 35 by the time IPL 2019 starts. He is also the highest paid overseas player in the Bangalore team and the second highest paid player overall in RCB behind Virat Kohli.

AB de Villiers considers Bangalore his second home and has been quite vocal about the kind of affection and support he receives from the Bangalore fans. He has repaid the fans and the management with some stupendous performances over the years for RCB in the IPL.

He has retired from international cricket but will continue to play IPL for Bangalore. A time will come in the coming years that Bangalore might have to find a player to replace him and that is going to be an impossible task.

For now, AB de Villiers is the oldest and perhaps the most important player of the Royal Challengers Bangalore camp.

#5 Amit Mishra (Delhi Capitals)

Age - 36

DOB - 24/11/1982

Amit Mishra is one of the most experienced spinners presently plying trade in the IPL.

Amit Mishra is a fighter. He may not have the fitness levels that warrant from players in the modern day game. But he is an effective bowler who uses all his experience to understand the opposition and the pitch and bowl accordingly. The faith of the Delhi management in him has been such that they have traded Shahbaz Nadeem to Hyderabad and Jayant Yadav to Mumbai. He remains the primary spin bowler of Delhi Capitals along with allrounders Axar Patel and Jalaj Saxena.

Amit Mishra is 36 years old and is the oldest player in the otherwise young Delhi squad. For a team that relies heavily on young Indian talent, their dependence on the experience of Amit Mishra has been an exception.

IPL 2019 season will be the platform where Mishraji will prove once again to the world that he is still among the best spinners of world cricket.

#4 Yusuf Pathan (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Age - 36

DOB - 17/11/1982

Yusuf Pathan is still the best-experienced finisher Sunrisers have in their squad

Yusuf Pathan is a big name in the Indian circles. His hard-hitting performances for Indian national team and also for various IPL franchises have had a big impact on the Indian fans and it is difficult not to expect fireworks when he comes onto the field.

Yusuf Pathan is also the oldest player in the Sunrisers Camp and will be playing the finisher's role this season too. But the fact remains that he is not as fluent as he used to be and will need to prove himself this season. Sunrisers have bought in young allrounders in the form of Abhishek Sharma, Vijay Shankar etc. possibly as a replacement for Pathan in the lower middle order. But it is too early to write him off.

Yusuf Pathan is the oldest player in the SRH squad and does have a point to prove this season.

#3 Yuvraj Singh (Mumbai Indians)

Age - 37

DOB - 12/12/1981

Yuvraj Singh has been given a chance to rediscover himself by Mumbai Indians.

Yuvraj Singh was released by Kings XI Punjab after a mediocre season for them in the last IPL. He was however grabbed by Mumbai Indians who were on the lookout for an experienced middle-order batsman who can make Rohit Sharma play as an opener. Yuvraj was available and Mumbai grabbed him at his base price.

Yuvraj becomes the oldest player in the Mumbai Squad and has a big responsibility on his shoulders to prove for Mumbai. The fact that Mumbai picked him to be their mainstay middle order batsman despite scoring a meager 65 runs from 8 matches at a paltry average of 10.83 in the last IPL season speaks volume of the nametag that he carries around with.

Yuvraj with all the experience will look to have a rebirth in IPL 2019 for Mumbai Indians.

#2 Chris Gayle (Kings XI Punjab)

Age - 39

DOB - 21/09/1979

Chris Gayle played a few massive innings for Punjab last season

When Chris Gayle gets going, there is no stopping him. The saying is common in the international circles and everyone acknowledges the impact the big West Indian can have on the opposition. It is only because of that he was grabbed by Kings XI Punjab in the last IPL season by Virender Sehwag on the verge of him going unsold.

Chris Gayle repaid the Punjab management with some terrific knocks and was instrumental along with KL Rahul in getting Punjab a good start to the season. In IPL 2019 too, the Punjab management will be hoping for the same performances from Chris Gayle. Punjab also has the presence of the young West Indian keeper Nicholas Pooran in their dugout to keep Chris Gayle on his toes.

Chris Gayle is the oldest and is one of the most important personalities in the Kings XI Punjab camp.

#1 Imran Tahir (Chennai Super Kings)

Age - 39

DOB - 27/03/1979

Imran Tahir doing his famous victory lap for Chennai Super Kings

When you hear the name Imran Tahir, it is his famous celebration after taking the wicket that comes to your mind. The South African is extremely passionate about cricket and fights till the last ball to win the games. It is these attributes that keep him playing cricket even after being a 39-year-old who will turn 40 by the time IPL 2019 season starts. He is the oldest player in the IPL 2019 season and not just among the Chennai Super Kings squad, but also among the entire league.

Imran Tahir is not someone who is biding time waiting for IPL to arrive. He is busy playing in different leagues in the world. The experience of Imran Tahir has been such that he also holds the record for representing the highest number of teams (27) in the world on different platforms. He will be vital for Chennai in their quest to retain the IPL title.

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