The sixth edition of the IPL could be the last time we see the likes of Rahul Dravid, Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting in the competition.
With the 2013 IPL tournament starting today there are a number of players taking part for which this could be the last time fans see their talent.
Rahul Dravid is captain of Rajasthan Royals, but after also taking on the role of coach the former Indian skipper may be indicating the path he is going to take in the near future.
At 40-years-old Dravid is certainly in the latter stages of his career, although he still has 12 months on Kings XI Punjab skipper Adam Gilchrist.
As of last year the 41-year-old wicketkeeper batsman has retired from all forms of the game except the IPL and many thought he wouldn’t even compete in 2013.
Yet with Gilchrist opting for one last hurrah at the fastest paced cricket tournament in the world, he could be finishing an outstanding career in front of millions of cricket fans.
It has already been established that former Australian captain Ricky Ponting will play domestically in both England and the Caribbean after the IPL, but whether he will extend his career beyond 2013 is still unknown.
Ponting is merely a pup compared to Dravid and Gilchrist at 38, but since bowing out of international cricket the second highest Test run-scorer in history may be looking towards a life outside of the game.
All three veterans will be captaining their respective sides in the 2013 IPL; with Ponting making his Mumbai Indians debut on April 4, Dravid leading out Rajasthan on April 6 and Gilchrist heading Kings XI’s charge just a day later.
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