Special feature: 10 oldies who will be featuring in IPL 8

Tags: Indian Premier League 2015, Bradley John Hodge, Azhar Mahmood Sagar, Pravin Tambe, Michael Edward Killeen Hussey, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Rajat Bhatia, Christopher Henry Gayle, Harbhajan Singh

Published on: Apr 07, 2015

T20 may be considered to be a young man's game, but over the years the IPL has proved with assumption wrong as a number of veteran players have tasted success in the event

T20 may be considered to be a young man's game, but over the years the IPL has proved with assumption wrong as a number of veteran players have tasted success in the event. This year as well a number of oldies will be seen in action. We look at 10 of them.

Brad Hogg (44): The Aussie chinaman bowler made his international debut way back in 1996, and at 44, is the oldest player to feature in IPL 8. Having retired from the game some years back, Hogg revived his career with T20s. He has featured in the Aussie squad in the last two World T20s. He may not get many chances to turn out for KKR this time, but the fact that he has been selected means he is still wanted.

Azhar Mahmood (40): At an time when most players of his era have retired, and have taken on mentoring roles in the T20 league, Mahmood continues to turn out on the field, this time for KKR, a tribute to his fitness. Although past his prime, Mahmood remains a highly skilled batsman, and a cunning bowler. His presence of definitely lends good balance to the side.

Pravin Tambe (43): The leggie from Mumbai has given the phrase it's never too late a new meaning. He was chosen for Rajasthan Royals out of obscurity a couple of seasons back, and has definitely made his presence felt. Tambe has given a good account of himself in the IPL, so much so that he has gone on to earn a Ranji debut against all odds.

Michael Hussey (39): Mr Cricket is still around, and at 39 still seems fit for a challenge. His consistency has taken a beating with age, but he definitely played some impressive knocks in the last edition. If Hussey continues to fire for Chennai, he will be a big asset to the side. It remains to be seen whether he will be as sharp in the field.

Virender Sehwag (36): Sehwag is no longer the threat he used to be. But, while his Indian days may be over, he is still hanging around, try to ply his trade for Kings XI Punjab the IPL. He has not been exceedingly successful, but the few times that he has fired, he has looked like the vintage Sehwag of old. Fans want more of him.

Ashish Nehra (35): There was a point in time when the left-arm seamer was a constant feature in the Indian line-up. But, injuries and poor form have hampered his international career, and progress as a player. Nehra doesn't feature a lot in the T20 XI because of his poor fielding. Whenever he plays for Chennai, it will be more because the side needs his experience.

Zaheer Khan (36): Once India's leader of the pace attack, Zaheer hasn't been part of the Indian outfit for close to a year now. He has had severe fitness and form issues. And, while it is unlikely that he will turn out for India again, he hasn't given up hope. He keeps turning up in the IPL year after year, this time it will be for Delhi.

Rajat Bhatia (35): A militant medium bowler, who has toiled hard on the domestic scene for nearly a decade, Rajat does a good job of keeping things tight with the ball for Rajasthan Royals. He can also chip in with the ball lower down the order. A useful T20 cricketer who could have turned out for India had he been younger.

Chris Gayle (35): The most sought after T20 cricketer, people often tend to forget that Gayle is a veteran of the game, and has been playing international cricket since the late 90s. Still, he defies age by playing some stunning knocks in the T20 format. He has almost singlehandedly carried RCB on his shoulders for a couple of seasons.

Harbhajan Singh (34): For someone who turned 34 late last year, it is a shocking fact that Singh hasn't played an ODI for India since 2011. But, the emergence of Ravichandran Ashwin has been a major setback to his career. Still, Singh has been successful for Mumbai Indians, even leading them to the T20 title. He will be the franchise's lead spinner again.

--By A Cricket Analyst

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