Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. (Photo Source: BCCI/Twitter)
Cricket is regarded as one of the most popular sports in the world, which is pretty much evident from the number of cricket leagues played across the globe. The same is also testified by the perpetual addition of new countries to the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) list, giving them recognition to play professional cricket.
However, on the downslope, the rising popularity of new-age cricket has also been responsible for decreasing the craze of some of its older formats. This is deemed to be the case particularly for ODI cricket, with circles of experts constantly being in argument about the veracity of the same.
It is often debated that the ODI format is somehow losing its significance and is the most vulnerable to lose its viewership.
10 players who might retire from ODIs after the 50-overs World Cup
From the perspective of the cricketers, playing all the 3 formats of the game does, at times, get a lot too hectic, due to which they are forced to sideline themselves from atleast one of the formats, before hanging their boots altogether. Because of its downhill popularity and significance, ODI cricket can soon become the ‘let go’ format for the cricketers. On these thoughts, here is a list of 10 such cricketers who might just as well want to bid farewell to ODI cricket, right after the conclusion of the ICC 50-overs cricket World Cup in India, later this year :-
1. Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan has done well for India in ICC events ; not to forget he was the Player of the Series in India’s successful campaign during the Champion’s Trophy of 2013, and if he gets a chance to be part of the 50-overs event in 2023, he will be itching to have a fairytale end to his career. However, unless Dhawan maintains a consistency in the next few months, with the likes of KL Rahul and Prithvi Shaw around, India’s ‘Mr. ICC’ might find it hard to book a place in the World Cup squad. That being said, he is an experienced cricketer and Team India will surely consider that, alongwith his ability to build an innings right at the top.
After wearing the India colours in what would be his third 50-over World Cup, Dhawan could consider settling with a fairytale goodbye and may thus consider retiring from ODIs, since his in and out appearance in the Indian team has increased the unertainities for the player. However, i is worth mentioning that his fitness levels at 37 are quite envious to youngsters,
Dhawan’s retirement after the World Cup, if at all it happens, could be attributed firstly to Dhawan’s growing age, secondly to him not being very consistent with his performances and lastly, to the rise in a number of budding talented cricketers from the domestic circuit who are knocking the doors for a selection into the Indian side.
2. Virat Kohli
One of the most popular names in world cricket and already a modern-day legend, Virat Kohli, surprisingly, has to be included in this list. By the time the World Cup commences in 2023, the right-handed batter would have already turned 35 and the talismanic batter might just call time on his decorated ODI career. He has already won the 50-over World Cup back in 2011 as well as the Champion’s Trophy in 2013, both under MS Dhoni’s captaincy. He had earlier himself won the U19 World Cup as a captain in 2008, and he will look to bow out on a high by helping India clinch their third World Cup title.
He has already made his intentions clear of giving it his all to help the Men in Blue win the upcoming 2023 World Cup and, should he rediscover his lost mojo, a title win might just see Kohli bring the curtains down on his career in style.
He gave up his captaincy back in 2022, to team-mate Rohit Sharma, citing workload management, after a lot of cacophony following the Men In Blue’s continuous dissapointing outings in ICC events since 2013.
3. Rohit Sharma
Another behemoth of world cricket, Rohit Sharma is regarded as one of the best openers in the history of the game. His exploits during the 2019 World Cup, where he smashed a whopping 5 centuries, as if scoring at his own free will, had the whole world become his fan. Though the Indian team didn’t make it to the Final, Rohit was rightly nominated for the ‘Player of the Series’ for that edition.
However, ever since he took over full-time captaincy from Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma could be seen struggling to strike a balance between his batting and captaincy duties . The skipper will be over 35 during the World Cup this year, and might thus contemplate retiring from ODI. The value and impact he brings to the team is massive and will be thoroughly missed, if he bids adieu to the format.
News of his retirement might be one of the biggest shockers of 2023, should he announce it post the tournament.
4. Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja has been one of the biggest match-winners for India across all formats, be it with the bat, the ball, or even with his fielding skills. He has been India’s go-to all-rounder in all three formats of the game. No one can forget his coming-of-the-age innings against New Zealand in the semi-final clash of 2019 where the entire top-order of India had succumbed within 2 overs.
However, the acrobatic 34-year-old might just call time on his ODI career, after the World Cup. While age is still in his favour, the main concern for Jadeja is his extreme vulnerability to injuries. Even during his prime-time he had had to be out of the team because of injuries, and until very recently, he had been out of action for India for a very long time.
So keeping health and fitness in mind, it may not come across as a surprise if Jadeja snaps off his ties with ODI cricket after the World Cup, to give himself more room for the other formats.
5. Faf du Plessis
Faf du Plessis has had a long and illustrious career in world cricket and he would want to end his career on a high by winning the ODI World Cup, for this could be his last chance to take home South Africa’s maiden World Cup title.
The 38-year-old has already bid adieu to the red-ball format and he could do that to the shorter formats as well after the World Cup in 2023. The competition would be intense but if the Proteas can hold their nerves, Faf could have decent chances of finishing his career on a high.
South Africa, tunnelling themselves from a heavyweight side of the past to an average outfit in the current times, would want to end the jinxed streak of close misses by finally laying their hands on the World Cup in India, and have their legendary leader depart with elegance and style.
6. Mushfiqur Rahim
Mushfiqur Rahim is another player who might retire after the 2023 Cricket World Cup. Although age-wise, Rahim could push for a few more years, he is unlikely to do that in order to make way for his successor and give him sufficient time to cement himself behind the stumps, before the 2027 World Cup. Anyone who replaces him must have a few years of experience behind the stumps to do really well in an ICC event.
Having got noticed in the 2007 World Cup, Rahim has been one of Bangladesh’s best batsmen over the years. In 2023, he will also have a good chance to take Bangladesh into the knockout stage and finish his long career on a sweet note. He has been Bangladesh’s main batter and one of the best wicket-keepers Bangladesh has been able to produce in its cricket history.
Finding a good raplacement for Rahim might be tough, because the 35-year-old has been Bangladesh’s main man in major ICC events and has even captained the national side. Also, Rahim would personally want to end on a fairytale note by qualifying beyond the quarter-finals, something the Tigers have never been able to accomplish.
7. Trent Boult
One of the most shocking names in this list is that of Trent Boult. Boult has been one of New Zealand’s most successful pacers of all time. We all remember him giving nightmares to the Indian batsmen with his lethal bowling in the 2019 semi-final and the WTC Final.
However, there are huge chances Trent Boult might just give up on atleast the ODI format of the game, right after the World Cup. Here too, age is not as much of a hindrance as are two other reasons: he is very much injury-prone, and most importantly, the 33-year-old hasn’t been playing professional cricket for a long time after being released from New Zealand’s central cricket contract. The release was executed after the fast bowler had himself requested for it. This has now significantly reduced his appearances in international cricket and also speaks volumes about his thought process of managing his workload by cutting short on some formats.
He has been a runner-up in the last two ODI World Cups, and the 2023 edition could well be his last shot at the elusive trophy. Boult has already made it clear that he would like to play in the T20 tournaments over national cricket, and is likely to move away from the 50-over format.
8. Sikandar Raza
Sikandar Raza is a Pakistan-born cricketer who represents Zimbabwe. He has been one of the best players for the country in recent years. Raza has done well both with the bat and the ball and has thus hogged the limelight as a prominent representative of cricket for Zimbabwe. However, he is 35 years old and may quit the game, primarily the ODI format, after the 2023 World Cup.
Zimbabwe’s best-ever performance was during the 1999 World Cup where they finished 5th in the Super-Sixes race and unfortunately missed out on the Semi-final berth to New Zealand due to an inferior net run-rate.
Although the Chevrons are yet to qualify for the upcoming World Cup, hopes would be pinned on this ambassador of Zimbabwean cricket for if they qualify, Raza, would want to finish his career on a high by atleast, for once, making Zimbabwe enter the top 4 in a World Cup.
9. Mohammad Nabi
Mohammad Nabi is already a legend for his war-torn country, where cricket is one of the limited modes of entertainment for the fans. He has been a very prominent face for Afghanistan cricket, being one of their main all-rounders and also captaining the Afghan side for many years.
However, in September 2022, the 38-year-old quit Test cricket to prolong his career in the limited-overs formats. A legend for his country, the 2023 World Cup could be his last opportunity to do something memorable in an ICC event. Everyone would remember Afghanistan dragging the 2019 group-stage match against India to a last-ball thriller where though they lost, Nabi was lauded for his efforts. Also, Afghanistan were highly appreciated for the tough fight they gave to Australia during the 2020 T20 World Cup, which they eventually lost by a mere 4 runs.
In the upcoming World Cup, the nation can be expeted to cause a few more upsets and even make their way to the knockout stage. At least that’s what Nabi would be looking to achieve, for he could then retire on a high and take up a role in the staff, which looks very likely at the moment.
10. David Warner
David Warner is also one of the best openers and a giant in world cricket. He boasts of some records which can only be dreamt of by many cricketers. Also, ever since his comeback after the infamous ‘Sand-paper gate’ scandal, Warner seems to have flourished and grown to be a much better batter than what he earlier was.
However, the 36-year-old has been having quite a number of issues with Cricket Australia and doesn’t seem to be on healthy terms with the Australian management. Also, he had earlier dropped a major hint of his retirement, saying that he wanted to take care of his overall well-being.
Warner would be 37 by the time the World Cup commences in India and he might just as well want to quit cricket’s “middle-child”, to focus on being a mercenary by playing the shorter format and T20 leagues around the world. He, however, had expressed his wish to be able to finish his illustrious career on a high by winning the coveted title, He has also admitted to be looking forward to the 2024 World Cup, which will be played in West Indies and USA, thus providing a perfect ground to realise his dream of winning a World Cup in “every part of the world”.
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