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What's the story?
Former Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan looks set to take part in the 11th edition of the Indian Premier League as a player after an exchange with Harsha Bhogle ahead of the fifth ODI between India and Sri Lanka.
After rain delayed the start of the final ODI, Zaheer, Sunil Gavaskar and Harsha Bhogle were on air speaking about training and how the preparation has changed, especially for fast bowlers. Then Bhogle said: "For fans of Zaheer Khan, he is back in the gym. He is playing one more season of the IPL. He is back in the gym, he is starting to train again."
And just as he said that, the former Indian fast bowler smiled and didn't deny the statement, confirming that he will take part in next year's IPL although he will be 39.
In case you didn't know...
The 38-year-old has donned the hat of a commentator for the ongoing ODI series between India and Sri Lanka. He took part in the 2017 edition of the IPL for Delhi Daredevils, for whom he was also the captain and also crossed 100 wickets in the tournament.
The heart of the matter
One of India's finest fast bowlers, Zaheer Khan called time on his international career in 2015 after representing his country in over 300 matches across all formats, picking up over 600 international wickets. Despite retiring from international cricket, Zaheer Khan took part in the last two editions of the IPL.
He finished with 10 wickets from 11 matches in the tenth edition of the IPL which marked the second successive season in which he ended with double digits and the sixth time he managed that in the history of the IPL.
What's next?
After the fifth ODI, India will play Sri Lanka in a solitary T20I on September 6. The left-arm seamer will be 39 by the time IPL 2018 comes around and it will be interesting to see if a team goes for the experienced seamer with the emphasis likely to be on current international stars.
Author's take
Despite announcing his international retirement in 2015, Zaheer has shown that he is still good enough to play in the IPL, where he has taken 20 wickets in two seasons since announcing his international retirement. His experience could be crucial and he will be a valuable addition to any side.
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