The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the most competitive domestic T20 cricket tournament on the planet. The competition levels in the IPL have been sky high, and the fact that the race to the playoffs gets more intense every year highlights the same. Despite having some of the world’s best players like Steve Smith, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, and Jofra Archer, the Rajasthan Royals finished at the last position in IPL 2020.
The key to success in IPL is stability and consistency. A team with a stable team combination is likely to succeed compared to the teams who make frequent changes. However, many a times the franchises are forced to alter their thinking because of injury problems. The experienced players have a long list of injuries and another in the IPL ends their season early.
In this article, we will shed light on those five players whose IPL career ended after they were ruled out of a particular season.
1.Ashish Nehra – IPL 2017
Ashish Nehra was one of the few players who revived their careers by impressing in the IPL. The left-arm fast bowler returned to the Indian team and received a grand farewell after his marvelous performances for the Chennai Super Kings and the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Nehra won the IPL trophy with the Orange Army in 2016. He kicked off the next season in a good manner by scalping eight wickets in six matches. Unfortunately, a hamstring strain that he suffered against the Rising Pune Supergiant ruled him out of the tournament, and he never came back.
2.Kevin Pietersen – IPL 2016
Former Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Kevin Pietersen had made a name for himself in limited-overs cricket with his magnificent performances. The right-handed batsman joined the Rising Pune Supergiant franchise in 2016.
Pietersen looked in good nick as he scored 73 runs in four innings at an average of 36.50. However, he suffered a calf injury versus the Royal Challengers Bangalore, and that injury ended his IPL career.
3.John Hastings – IPL 2016
Another overseas star whose IPL career came to an end because of injury is John Hastings. The Australian all-rounder played for two franchises in his career, namely the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Chennai Super Kings.
Hastings played only three matches in his career. He picked one wicket for CSK, while he bowled a dream spell of 2/6 in the match between KKR and Delhi. Unfortunately, an ankle injury ended his IPL 2016 campaign, which ultimately put a full stop on his IPL career.
4.Sachin Tendulkar – IPL 2013
Nicknamed as the God of cricket, Sachin Tendulkar was a vital part of the Mumbai Indians team during the first few seasons. The right-handed batsman captained the team in multiple tournaments.
He had got retired hurt in his last match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad after scoring 38 runs off 31 deliveries. That proved to be Sachin’s last outing in the IPL as they ruled him out of the competition later owing to an injury on his left hand.
5.Michael Clarke – IPL 2013
Former Australian cricket team captain Michael Clarke played only one IPL season and that was in 2012. Clarke represented the Pune Warriors India and scored 98 runs in six matches.
The right-handed Aussie was set to play for PWI in 2013 also. Unfortunately, a back injury did not allow him to participate in that competition. The match against the Kolkata Knight Riders proved to be his last in the Indian Premier League.
