IPL 2026: 5 Indian stars who might be playing their last season ft. MS Dhoni

Several veteran players might be playing their last season in IPL 2026.

Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 will feature a battle among 10 teams, who will play a total of 74 games, to fight for the title. Over the years, IPL has provided a great platform to many youngsters to establish their careers and even represent their respective nations.

A few youngsters will be in the spotlight yet again in IPL 2026 and will aim for an impressive performance, which could also help them to break into the national team. On the contrary, a few veteran players might be playing their last IPL tournament. Below are five such Indian players.

Indian players who might play their last season

5. MS Dhoni

Although MS Dhoni has not retired from IPL, he is definitely in the final stages of his career. He has already handed over the captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad and has been struggling with his fitness over the last few years.

Ahead of IPL 2026, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) roped in Sanju Samson into their squad through a trade deal with Rajasthan Royals (RR). Being a wicket-keeper batsman, Samson is being looked upon as a future replacement for Dhoni.

4. Ajinkya Rahane

Despite Kolkata Knight Riders’ poor show last season, Ajinkya Rahane was retained as their captain for IPL 2026. However, a poor season this time around can hamper Rahane’s position as captain, and he might be released from the squad ahead of next season.

Rahane is often touted as a Test specialist, and his high strike rate in T20s is always under the scanner. At 37 years old, Rahane is in the final stages of his IPL career.

3. Ishant Sharma

Ishant Sharma will be playing for the Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2026. Last season, the right-arm pacer featured in seven games and clinched four wickets at an economy of 11.18. He was quite expensive with his bowling.

Although he has been retained by GT this year, he might lose his spot ahead of the next season. Since he will turn 38 years old next year, it will be tough for him to find a new team.

2. Jayant Yadav

Jayant Yadav will also feature for GT in IPL 2026 and has been part of the side since the 2022 edition. He did not play a single game in the 2025 and 2024 editions and warmed the bench in all matches. The off-spinner has already turned 36 years old and might not be able to retain his spot for long.

1. Jaydev Unadkat

Jaydev Unadkat is an experienced seam all-rounder in IPL and is part of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2026 edition. Last year, the left-arm seamer clinched 11 wickets in seven games at an average of 15.90 and an economy of 7.34.

He has been part of IPL since the 2010 edition, but has struggled to come up with consistent performances. He will turn 35 next year and might find it challenging to compete with emerging youngsters.

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