IPL: Top 3 oldest players to play the tournament

IPL or T20 cricket on whole is said to be a young players’ game. Talking about the motto, it says ‘Where talent meets opportunity’. On the other hand, there have been players who have played the tournament at an age in which they were expected to retire. Meanwhile, over the years, there have been players who have played the league after retiring from international game. 

Three oldest players to play in IPL

1. Brad Hogg

The two-time ODI World Cup for Australia made his debut in 2012 for the Rajasthan Royals. In 2015, he moved to Kolkata Knight Riders and was part of the team till 2016. During this phase, he played 21 games as he didn’t get enough games. 

In this games, 23 wickets at an average 24.78, economy rate 7.47, and a strike-rate of 19.91 including a four-wicket haul. He played his last game at the age of 45 years and 92 days.

2. Pravin Tambe

The former RR player made his debut for the 2008 winners in 2013 under Rahul Dravid. That was the same season that was marred by spot-fixing cases. Meanwhile, Tambe, who rose among the odds from being a Tennis ball player to hard-ball cricket made his transition from a fast bowler to leg spinner. 

Not to forget, he has an IPL hat trick too, that came against the eventual champions of 2014, KKR. After the Royals were banned for two years, he played for now-defunct Gujarat Lions and Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016 and 2017. He played his last game for the Lions and aged 44 years 219 days old.

3. MS Dhoni

The former India skipper is the only player in the list who is still playing the league. During the ongoing IPL 2023, he is aged 41 years old. While the reports of him retiring after the tournament, he is the third oldest player to feature in the cash rich league. 

Currently, he is leading the Chennai Super Kings that has played four games, won two and lost the rest. It will be interesting to how the team fares given their track record in 2020 and 2022 seasons.