IPL 2023: 5 Oldest Players in the auction

Even though T20 cricket is often considered to be a tournament for young exciting talents, certain veterans over the years have proved it to be nothing but a myth. Legendary skipper MS Dhoni at the age of 39 won his 4th Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy in 2021 while the Universe Boss, Chris Gayle at 39 years of age, hit a blistering century against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018 to help Kings XI Punjab win by 15 runs.

The same can be said for certain veterans who have made themselves available for the upcoming IPL auction. They have proved their mettle for the longest period of time and if nothing, experience always comes in handy in the shortest format of the game.

Let’s jump straight in to find out the five oldest players of the IPL mini-auction:

5. Christiaan Jonker

The 36-year-old all-rounder Christiaan Jonker was born on September 24 in Rustenburg, South Africa. The veteran made his T20I debut against India in the year 2018 but played only a couple of games before getting dropped. However, when it comes to domestic cricket, Jonker has been sensational, scoring 2333 runs from 121 T20 matches.

His strike rate of 130.11 in the shortest format can fix a lot of problems for multiple teams in the cash-rich league. The all-rounder can play the role of an anchor and accelerate whenever there’s a need. Plus, his bowling skills can be an asset for any team in the IPL. Franchises often look for batters who can bowl in the middle overs and Jonker absolutely fits in that category.

However, the problem with Jonker has been his form. In his last five T20 innings, the all-rounder could score only 87 runs and didn’t bowl a single over.