Indian Premier League (IPL) has always provided a platform for youngsters and veterans to shine on the biggest stage. While some of the newcomers have excelled at this stage before marking their name on the international stage, some players have preferred to choose the IPL to show their prowess in their twilight years.
With the rise of T20 leagues around the world, players tend to shift their base from the international stage to cash-dominated leagues. In this article, we will look at the five players who retired from international cricket to play in the world’s toughest league.
5 players who retired from international cricket to play in IPL
Dwaine Pretorius
The South African all-rounder who represented his country from 2016-22 announced his retirement from international cricket in 2023. However, he continued to play in the domestic leagues and also played for Chennai Super Kings in the 2023 edition of the IPL.
However, due to an injury, he played one game last season and six games in the 2022 edition. But with the 34-year-old all-rounder applying his trade in franchise cricket, he could represent a franchise in the coming season of the IPL.
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AB de Villiers
Another South African great, who has not only dominated the cricket field in T20 cricket but also scored runs in Test and ODI formats with an average of 50+. However, when Mr.360 was at his best, he announced his surprise decision to call time on his international career to focus on T20 leagues around the world.
He then went on to play four seasons in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore and scored more than 300+ runs in each season.
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David Willey
English all-rounder who last represented his nation in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 announced his decision to hang boots after the conclusion of the showpiece event.
He represented the Three Lions in 43 T20I and picked up 51 wickets. However, just before the IPL auction, his retirement decision signaled his intentions to play in the cash-rich league. In the auction, Lucknow Super Giants picked up the England all-rounder for their upcoming season.
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Azhar Mahmood
Former Pakistani cricketer and British national Azhar represented the Pakistan team till 2007 and then moved to England to apply his trade in the county cricket and eventually to the Indian Premier League which was slated to start from the next year.
After getting British citizenship, he went on to play in the IPL from 2012-13, and 2015. He represented Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings ) and played just 23 matches scoring 388 runs and scalping 29 wickets.
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Quinton de Kock
The South African wicket-keeper batter recently announced his decision to retire from international cricket except in the T20I format. His retirement came on the back of his desire to feature in the domestic leagues worldwide.
He will continue to show his abilities as a batter and keeper in the upcoming IPL season for Lucknow Super Giants. Further, he also continues to play in SA20, BBL, MCL, and other leagues.
