The upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the IPL 2026 season, is all geared up to kick-start on 28 March 2026 and will witness the final showdown on 31 May 2026. Often hailed as one of the most popular and prominent cricket leagues in the world, the Indian Premier League is followed by millions of cricket aficionados from every nook and corner of the world.
The glorious history of the Indian Premier League, which spans over decades, has been witness to numerous legendary and trailblazing international cricketers, including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, David Warner, Trent Boult and many others, who have left millions of fans absolutely stunned with their dominant exploits on the field and have successfully led their respective franchises to a spine-chilling streak of victories. Have you ever wondered about the top four cricketers who might be playing their career’s last IPL edition in 2026? Well, let’s find out.
In this article we will take a look at the top four cricketers who might announce their official retirement after the IPL 2026 edition.
Top 4 Cricketers Who Might Retire After IPL 2026
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Mahendra Singh Dhoni
The legendary Indian former international cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is often hailed as one of the greatest cricketers in the history of international cricket, is on the first spot on our list of the top four cricketers who might retire from the IPL after the upcoming 2026 edition. Mahendra Singh Dhoni made his star-studded IPL debut in the inaugural 2007 edition with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and has been a mainstay for the squad ever since.
Throughout his glorious career so far, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has successfully led the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise to a record total of five IPL trophies. After playing a record total of 278 IPL matches and scoring a phenomenal total of 5,439 runs at an average of 38.3, the IPL 2026 might be the last edition of the Indian Premier League for the former skipper of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise.
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Ishant Sharma
At the second spot on our list of the top four cricketers who might announce their official retirement after the IPL 2026 edition, we have another Indian former international cricketer, Ishant Sharma, who has represented the Indian national cricket team across all formats of international cricket from 2007 to 2021. The legendary Indian bowler Ishant Sharma has been a mainstay in the Indian Premier League ever since he made his debut in 2008 for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise.
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Ever since, Ishant Sharma has played a record total of 117 IPL matches and has picked up a commanding total of 96 wickets at a phenomenal economy rate of 8.38 and an impressive average of 35.2, establishing himself as one of the most accomplished bowlers in the league. According to experts, Ishant Sharma, who will be turning 38 soon, is most likely to announce his official retirement after concluding the upcoming IPL 2026 edition.
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Faf du Plessis
Next, at the third spot on our list of the top four cricketers who might retire from IPL, after the upcoming 2026 edition, we have the South African cricketer and former skipper of the South African national cricket team Faf du Plessis, who has already announced his voluntary withdrawal from the upcoming IPL 2026 edition. As of March 2026, Faf du Plessis has played a phenomenal total of 154 IPL matches and has scored a commanding total of 4,773 runs at an impressive average of 35.5 and a blistering strike rate of 134.4.
According to experts, Faf du Plessis would be turning 42 in the coming few weeks which could be a major reason for his voluntary retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL) after the upcoming nineteenth edition of the league ranking him at the third spot on our list.
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Ajinkya Rahane
Finally, at the fourth spot on our list of the top four cricketers who might announce their official retirement after the IPL 2026 edition, we have another Indian former international cricketer and skipper of the Indian national cricket team, Ajinkya Rahane. Often hailed as one of the greatest batters of his generation, Ajinkya Rahane has been a prominent name in the annals of the Indian Premier League ever since he made his star-studded debut in 2008 for the Mumbai Indians.
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As of March 2026, Ajinkya Rahane has played a record total of 198 IPL matches and has scored a phenomenal total of 5,032 runs, establishing himself as one of the most successful batsmen of all-time. According to experts, Ajinkya Rahane, who has been selected as the skipper of the KKR franchise for the upcoming IPL 2026 edition might be forced to announce his early retirement from the format in case he fails to produce the desired results for the franchise.
