The T20 World Cup 2022 will see 16 teams trying their luck to get their hands on the World Championship. Australia, who won the last edition, will defend their title at home. The WT20 will start on October 16, which is just a couple of weeks away from now. Thus, the excitement level among the fans is increasing with every passing day. However, this will be the 8th edition of the ICC event and the next edition will be played in 2024 in the West Indies and US.
Thus, it would not be wrong to say that some players might be playing the last T20 World Cup of their career. Notably, this tournament will see a few players who are ageing above 35 and will be seen for the last time in action. So we have brought a list for you of such players, who will play their last WT20 in Australia.
1. Martin Guptill (New Zealand)
New Zealand’s Martin Guptill is the oldest player from his country to feature in the upcoming ICC event. This is his 6th WT20 of his career, which is also the most for any Kiwi. He is currently 36 years and 2 days old and is among the oldest players in the tournament. Guptill has played 121 T20Is in his career and is the third highest run-getter with 3497 runs at a strike rate of 135.80.
2. David Warner (Australia)
Australia’s veteran opener David Warner is another player who might retire from T20 cricket after this world cup. Warner was the “Player of the Tournament” in the last edition in UAE. However, because he is 35 years and 340 days old, this could be his final world cup. He has played 91 T20I and scored 2684 runs at a strike rate of 140.89. However, he will look to take his team to a successive title.
3. Dinesh Karthik (India)
One of the oldest players in the competition is India’s veteran wicket-keeper, Dinesh Karthik. He made his comeback after some good performances in the IPL 2023, which helped him to earn his place in the team. DK has already said that he wants to play his last world cup for his country, which means this will be his last appearance on the grand stage. He is currently 37 and will not get any younger. DK has played 55 T20Is and scored 626 runs at 145.9.
4. Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan)
Afghanistan skipper Mohammed Nabi is another of the oldest players in the competition. He will complete 38 years on January 1, so he also knows that it will be his last world cup. Thus, the star all-rounder will look to do well for his country. Nabi is among the top all-rounders in the world in T20 internationals. He has played 101 T20Is and scored 1669 runs at 140.4, including 83 wickets with the ball as well.
5. Moeen Ali (England)
English star all-rounder Moeen Ali is also on the list. Ali is currently 35 years and 115 days old and is the oldest English player in the competition. He has also retired from the longest format, and with him getting old, it might not be possible for him to play in 2024. Ali has played 61 T20I for England and scored 933 runs at a strike rate of 146.7 and taken 40 wickets as well.
6. Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)
Bangladesh skipper and No. 1 ranked T20I all-rounder Shakib al Hasan is another player, who might be playing his last WT20. Shakib is currently 35 years old and is one of two players to feature in all T20 World Cups in history. Shakib has played 101 T20Is in his career and scored 2045 runs at an average and strike rate of 22.98 and 120.79. He has also taken 122 wickets, which is the highest in T20I history.
7. Aaron Finch (Australia)
Australia’s skipper, Aaron Finch, is another player who is playing his last T20 World Cup, that too at home. The captain, who led Australia to their maiden T20 title in 2021, will look to retire with glory. He has already retired from ODI cricket, and he might do the same in the shorter format as well. Finch has played 95 T20 and scored 2915 runs at an average and strike rate of 34.7 and 145.8. He is currently 35 years and 316 days old.
Apart from these players, some other cricketers might be entering their last T20 World Cup. This list includes Ravichandran Ashwin (India), Adil Rashid (England), Rohit Sharma (India), and Mathew Wade (Australia). Some of these will retire to prolong their careers in other formats. While some will retire from international cricket.