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AB de Villiers - (Source : @Johns/X.com)
The Indian Premier League has become a platform welcoming the younger talent and acknowledging veteran stars for their contributions. International stars, who make it big at the top level, love to play in the cash-studded league even after bidding adieu to the game.
Players like MS Dhoni and R Ashwin, who have left international cricket, continue to play the IPL as the premier Indian league allows them to perform at their best without the pressure of an international game.
Interestingly, a few players were not tempted by the familiar pattern and left the IPL sooner than expected. Thus, this article will look at the three players who quit IPL at a young age.
1. AB De Villiers
The first name that comes to mind is AB de Villiers. The South African legend was part of the RCB for a long time, but left the IPL in 2021, three years after quitting international cricket in 2018.
De Villiers was just 37 when he bid adieu to the Indian Premier League. However, in the latest events, ABD is making headlines in the World Championship of Legends (WCL), as the right-handed batter has scored back-to-back centuries.
De Villiers scored a hundred against England Champions and followed it up with a century against Australia Champions, hinting that a lot of cricket is still left in him at the top level.
2. Suresh Raina
Chinna Thala is another player who could have played the IPL for a lot longer than his last appearance. Raina announced his international retirement on August 15, 2020, and his last IPL match was in 2021.
Notably, Raina announced his IPL retirement in 2022 after he was not picked up by the Men in Yellow during the auction. The southpaw bid adieu to the yellow jersey at the age of just 35.
Raina, who is just 38, is currently featuring in Legend's leagues and recently amassed 232 runs in the Big Cricket League, where he scored two fifty-plus scores.
Thus, Mr. IPL is certainly the player, who had a lot of game left in him and retired way too earlier than he should have.
3. Shikhar Dhawan
Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in 2024, including the IPL. The 39-year-old left the game when he was just 38 and in-form in the IPL.
However, Shikhar was struggling with injuries, but led Punjab Kings in 2024, after which he announced his retirement. Similar to ABD, Dhawan too featured in WCL 2025, where he scored an unbeaten 91 (60) against Australia Champions.
