2020 was a difficult year for the fans. On one side, not many matches were being played, and on the other, a few legends chose to retire from the game. Of course, MS Dhoni’s retirement was the most heartbreaking exit, but there were a couple of other cricketers too who hung up their boots.
In this article, we constitute a strong playing XI comprising players who bid adieu from the game in 2020. We do not have any particular format in mind but looking at the balance, the below XI can be competent across formats.
Openers: Shane Watson and Wasim Jaffer
Shane Watson and Wasim Jaffer will be the openers for this XI. Watto played in the IPL and endured a difficult run. He did shine on a couple of occasions, but the consistency was missing. It had also been a few seasons since he had reduced bowling. Hence, after IPL 2020, the Aussie legend announced his retirement. Jaffer was immense for Vidharba for a couple of seasons. At the top of the order, the Mumbaikar was scoring runs like a machine. Even the domestic legend chose to exit the game in 2020. Soon after, he took up a role in the Kings XI Punjab backroom and was fairly decent in his job. Jaffer is now also followed for his memes on Twitter.
Middle-Order: Ian Bell, Suresh Raina, Marlon Samuels, and MS Dhoni (C&WK)
We have a solid middle-order from the pool of cricketers who retired in 2020. Although he had been inactive for England since a long time, Ian Bell was doing well in the domestic circuit. In 2020, the right-handed batsman chose to completely exit from the sport. He comes in at No.3 to provide stability and act as the anchor in this XI. Controversial West Indian batsman Marlon Samuels quit cricket in 2020. Despite his infamous off-field attitude, Marlon was a decent cricketer. He plays at No.6.
At the core of the unit, we have two Indian legends who retired on the same day. MSD and Suresh Raina announced their decision to retire from international cricket on August 15th. Although MSD’s decision was coming, Raina’s was a shocker. MSD will keep wickets and be the captain of this special XI.
All-Rounders: Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan retired from cricket in 2020. Although he played in LPL and CPL, as far as Indian cricket is concerned, Irfan’s journey is over. Unfortunately, the Baroda man was not able to fully realize his potential in the Indian jersey. Nevertheless, Irfan is in a good space now. He is a top commentator and is experienced in coaching too. The cricketer is also making his acting debut in 2021.
Bowlers: Mohammad Amir, Sachitra Senanayake, Graham Onions and Pragyan Ojha
The bowling line-up is headed by Pakistani pacer Mohammad Amir. Amir definitely does not belong to the retirement age. He might have plans, and it may not be a surprise if he comes back, albeit for a different country. Sachithra Senanayake played a few games for Sri Lanka in the past. He will partner Indian left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha in the spin-bowling department. English pacer Graham Onions will be the third pacer in the squad. A back injury forced the player to take this decision in 2020.
12th Man – Parthiv Patel
Parthiv Patel will be the 12th man for this squad. After not playing a single match in IPL 2020, the wicket-keeper batsman took the decision to retire from the game. Soon after his announcement, Parthiv also revealed that he would be joining Mumbai Indians as the Head of Talent. Parthiv is also executing a few gigs as an expert on a cricketing portal.
