Two cricket World Cups in two years is unheard of. But such has been life in Covid times. Cricket fans aren't complaining though. The consecutive World Cups also means that there are several familiar faces in all the teams.
But, the next edition will only be in 2024. With cricketers practically living out of the suitcase now, there has been a lot of stress on workload management. It has also led to players opting to quit formats to increase their longevity in the game. T20 is essentially considered a young man's game. And so, there is a high chance that several greats of the game may hang up their boots after the ongoing T20 World Cup in Australia.
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Most of the attention is on the Indian star duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Form isn't a concern for the incumbent skipper and the former skipper, but age is for the former. Kohli's love for the longer format is an open secret. So, he may consider retiring from the T20Is after the World Cup not only to focus on Tests and ODIs, but also to make way for the talented youngsters waiting in the wings. There are others like Ravichandran Ashwin and Dinesh Karthik, who, too, are almost certain to retire from T20Is after this tournament.
The other teams, too, have their Rohit Sharmas and Virat Kohlis. Here's a look at five big names who may call it quits after the ongoing T20 World Cup in Australia.
David Warner (Australia)
For a player of Warner's calibre, it is unfortunate that he will be forever be remembered for his role in the ball-tampering scandal in 2018, which rocked Australian cricket like never before. Cricket Australia banned him from international and Australian domestic cricket for 12 months, and stripped him of the vice-captaincy, and banned him from leadership roles for life. One of the best all-format openers in world cricket, the 35-year-old has scored 2,850 runs in 95 T20Is at a healthy strike rate of 142. He has had a prolific T20 career, and, in 2021, became the fourth batter to score 10,000 runs in the format. He was the player of the tournament in last year's T20 World Cup. He and Aaron Finch formed a destructive opening pair and the duo would be hoping to replicate some of that form this time to sign off on a high.
Aaron Finch (Australia)
Captain of the T20 World Cup-winning team last time around, Finch will look to defend the title and retain it on home soil. He is an explosive batsman with a decent 3,013 runs in 100 T20Is at a strike rate of 144.02. He is a former number one T20I batsman and has captained the Aussies in the ODIs too. He made a stellar debut in Tests in 2018, scoring 62 and 49 against Pakistan, but form deserted him soon after and he was dropped. He retired from ODIs earlier this year. The 35-year-old has long been out of reckoning in the longer format, and so, in all likelihood, he will quit playing T20Is after the World Cup and turn his attention to the T20 leagues around the world.
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Martin Guptill (New Zealand)
The Kiwi opener is one of the popular names in the T20 format. 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 New Zealand team in the T20 format, and beyond. Add to it, his sensational fielding abilities, and we have a player who selects himself in the playing XI. He has plied his trade in the Australian Big Bash League, IPL and the Carribean Premier League. But, with Finn Allen breathing down his neck, the pressure will be on the veteran. The 23-year-old has over 2,000 runs in 70-odd T20Is, at a brilliant strike rate of 171.57, and is tipped to fill Guptill's shoes at the top of the batting order. The latter is yet to win a major ICC trophy and would be hoping to sign off on a high, helping New Zealand lift the T20 World Cup this year.
Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)
Arguably the best Bangladeshi cricketer ever, Shakib has time and again proved his worth both with the bat and the ball. 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. He has had disciplinary issues, but Shakib hardly let it affect his performances on the field. Post a stellar show in the 2019 World Cup, he was suspended for two years for not reporting approaches by bookies. Bangladesh will be hoping Shakib puts all these behind him and inspires the team to put its best foot forward. With Test captaincy in hand, he is expected to make way for youngsters after the T20 World Cup this year. It will also allow him to focus more on the ODI format, with the 50-over World Cup scheduled next year.
Mohammed Nabi (Afghanistan)
Nabi has been a key member of the Afghan squad and one of the reasons of their rise in world cricket. The 37-year-old has scored 1,669 runs in 101 T20Is, picking up 83 wickets, too, with his off-breaks. He played a vital role in Afghanistan's qualification for the T20 World Cup in 2010, 2012 and 2014. He is currently the second best all-rounder in the world, after Shakib. He has been overshadowed in recent years by the exploits of his younger and more famous teammate Rashid Khan. But, despite his dip in form and the fact that talented youngsters are knocking on the team doors, the management has reposed their faith in the veteran for the T20 World Cup in Australia, which will certainly be his last. He will, probably, continue to play in T20 leagues around the world.
