5 Players Who Debuted Before MS Dhoni But Still Not Retired
MS Dhoni is one of the greatest cricketers that the world has seen. The impact that he had on the game, very few have managed to produce. Be it batting, captaincy or wicket-keeping, the legend was always on top of his game. In this article, we talk about five players who made their debut before MS Dhoni but are yet to retire.
Before MSD decided to hang up his boots, many were concerned regarding when he was going to retire. The legend took too much criticism for not retiring on time. He then made the important decision on August 15th, 2020. However, surprisingly, we still have a few players who made their international debut before Dhoni but have still not retired. We talk about them in this article.
1. Dinesh Karthik
Just a few weeks before MSD made his debut, Tamil Nadu wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik also had played his first game for India. Although DK was in the picture for a few years, once MSD became undroppable across formats, the player never got his chance to represent India. However, after Dhoni entered the final stages of his career, DK played a few games for India. Dhoni retired last year but Karthik is yet to hang up his boots. In fact, he even said recently that 2021 T20 WC is on his mind.
2. Chris Gayle
Chris Gayle ODI debut was in 1999, well before MSD made his first appearance for Team India. Yet, the West Indian monster is still very much active in the game. In one of his recent interviews, the Punjab Kings opener also said that he is thinking of playing another five years. Well, if he does that, it will be an extraordinary achievement. Nevertheless, despite his age, he is still at the top of his game, something that's worth recognition.
3. Amit Mishra
Amit Mishra's first ODI game was in 2003. This was before MSD made his entry to the Indian Team. However, for Amit, the journey has been hard. His problem has been inconsistency and extreme competition for places. Due to this, he was not able to make an impact on the blue jersey. The leg spinner is yet to announce his retirement, though. He could take a call after IPL 2021.
4. James Anderson
James Anderson is another name in this list of players who made their debut before MSD. Although he is not active in the ODI format, Anderson is still a beast in the longest version of the game. Even in the recent series against India, the English pacer was brilliant. Although there have been talks of retirement, nothing is concrete so far.
5. Harbhajan Singh
We all are aware that Harbhajan Singh was already an established cricketer by the time MS Dhoni wore the Indian jersey. At the break of this century itself, Bhajji had carved out a name for himself. However, till now, despite all his teammates retiring from the game, Bhajji is yet to quit the sport. Despite not being active in the domestic events, he earned a contract to play in IPL 2021 for KKR. That said, the upcoming edition could be the final campaign for the veteran spinner.