Twenty20 International (T20I) which is the shortest format of cricket is essentially considered a young man’s game. There has been a lot of emphasis on workload management. So, there is a high chance that several greats of the game may hang up their gloves after the ongoing T20 World Cup in Australia.
Fans are well aware of Indian star batsman Virat Kohli’s love for the longer format of the game. He may retire from the shortest format of the game to concentrate more on Tests and ODIs. Veterans like Ravichandran Ashwin and Dinesh Karthik are also almost certain to hang up their boots from T20Is.
David Warner of Australia may bid adieu to the shortest format of the game. Warner is considered one of the best openers across all formats of the game. The 35-year-old veteran cricketer has scored a total of 2,850 runs in 95 T20Is at an impressive strike rate of 142. He has had a great T20 career. He was the player of the tournament in last year’s T20 World Cup. He would be hoping to replicate some of that form in this edition as well to sign off on a high.
Australian captain Aaron Finch in all likelihood will quit playing T20Is after the World Cup and turn his attention to the T20 leagues around the world. Finch will look to defend the T20 World Cup title on home soil this time. He is an explosive batsman with a total of 3,013 runs in 100 T20Is at a decent strike rate of 144.02. He is a former number one T20I batsman in the ICC ranking.
Martin Guptill would be hoping to sign off on a high, helping New Zealand lift the T20 World Cup this year. The Kiwi opener is one of the popular names in the shortest format of the game. With 3,531 runs in 122 T20Is at a healthy strike rate of 135.7, the 36-year-old has been an asset to the Kiwis in the T20 format. He has impressed one and all in the Australian Big Bash League, IPL and the Caribbean Premier League.
Veteran cricketer Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh is expected to make way for youngsters after the T20 World Cup this year. He is the number one all-rounder in the world in T20Is, and has been appointed captain for the T20 World Cup despite his recent lack of form. The 35-year-old is the only cricketer to score 2,000 runs and take 100 wickets in T20Is. Bangladesh are hopeful that the greatest cricketer of their country will inspire them win the coveted trophy this time.
T20 World Cup in Australia may also be the last T20I tournament for Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammed Nabi. The 37-year-old has scored 1,669 runs in 101 T20Is, picking up 83 wickets, too, with his off-breaks. He is currently the second-best all-rounder in the world behind Shakib. Nabi may hang up his gloves from the shortest format of the game to make way for talented youngsters who are constantly knocking at the door.