In Indian cricket, 2020 was the year of retirement. While MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina were the most well-known retirement, Sudeep Tyagi and others will also leave the game in 2020.
In Indian cricket, there is a plethora of fresh talent. Not only that, but because of their involvement in the Indian Premier League, which requires not only skill but also the temperament to perform under extreme pressure, the youngsters are less intimidated by the pressures of international cricket.
This makes it difficult for veteran players who have left the Indian squad to return, even if they perform well in domestic cricket – players like Wasim Jaffer and Parthiv Patel have had similar difficulties. It may also compel some players to retire, making them eligible to play in overseas franchise leagues instead of hoping for a return on the international stage.
However, In this article we will take a look at those cricketers who might retire in 2021:
Amit Mishra
Amit Mishra is one of the unluckiest cricketers in recent memory. Despite his ability as a great leg-spinner, Amit’s prospects with the Indian team were always restricted. In his final ODI performance for India, Amit Mishra was named Man of the Match and Man of the Series. It’s really disappointing that the leg-spinner didn’t make the ODI selection after his outstanding performance. Mishra represented India in a couple of Twenty20 Internationals until 2017. Despite his domestic cricket experience, the IPL has always been his moment to shine. Even that was taken away from him in 2020 due to an awful injury.
Harbhajan Singh
When Harbhajan Singh announces his retirement from international cricket, it will come as no surprise – in fact, it is remarkable that he hasn’t done it yet. Harbhajan last played for India in a Twenty20 International in 2016. He was dropped after the T20 World Cup after being benched for the whole tournament. He doesn’t play much domestic cricket and hasn’t dabbled in any international competitions. The Punjab player has just recently appeared in the IPL. With his age coming up to him and the possibility of an IPL deal fading, Bhajji may as well make his decision next year. He may decide to leave the game and enter leagues such as the LPL and CPL. As a result, we believe he will be the most renowned name to retire in 2021.
Murali Vijay
Murali Vijay’s cricketing career has been on the slide since he was dropped from the Indian cricket squad. Whether it’s the IPL or the domestic circuit, the cricketer hasn’t made the most of his opportunities. CSK had no choice but to release him before the season began. Furthermore, other clubs have shown little interest in acquiring an out-of-form elderly opener. All of these factors may influence Vijay’s decision in 2021. Murali Vijay’s retirement announcement in 2021 would not be surprising.
Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik’s absence from India’s limited-overs system, particularly the T20 team, seems inexplicable. Karthik’s exclusion from the T20 team following the 2019 ODI World Cup semi-final reflects the jumbled management and selection practices. In T20 internationals, the Tamil Nadu batsman had a strike rate of above 150 from 2017 to 2019. With the exception of Hardik Pandya, Karthik continues to be the finest finisher in the country. However, with a plethora of young keeper-batsman in competition, the KKR captain has little chance of making a comeback, thus the 35-year-old may abandon his dreams of playing for India once again.
Yusuf Pathan
Yusuf Pathan is nearing the end of his career as well. Yusuf won the T20 World Cup with the Indian team, although his tenure in the blue jersey was brief. Despite this, he is considered one of the forefathers of the big-hitting game that is now so famous across the world. Yusuf had to skip the Indian Premier League in 2020 due to a lack of customers. This season, there were no takers for the veteran. As a result, Yusuf may decide to call it a day on his profession and move on to the next phase.
