3 oldest players in the IPL 2023 auction
The IPL 2023 auction final list is out, confirming that the 405 cricketers will go under the hammer in Kochi on December 23. Like always, it's a combination of some youngsters unheard of and some veterans who refuse to give up the sport.
The oldest players to play in the tournament have been all spinners - Bradd Hogg (45 years and 92 days), Pravin Tambe (44 years and 219 days), Muttiah Muralitharan (42 years and 35 days), and Imran Tahir (42 years and 29 days).
Below, we'll take a look at the oldest players who'll feature in the IPL 2023 auction.
#1 Amit Mishra
At 40 years and 19 days, leg-spinner Amit Mishra is the oldest player on the IPL 2023 auction roster. He'll feature in Set 15th, the second one for spinners.
An epitome of longevity, he played brilliantly for Delhi Capitals until 2021, where he picked up six wickets from four matches at an average of 18.17. He went unsold in 2022, prompting an emotional message from Capitals owner Parth Jindal. The veteran replied by saying he isn't "finished yet" and can add to the team's legacy.
Playing since 2008, Mishra is the third-highest wicket-taker in the IPL with 166 scalps to his name. He's one of the few to have played more than 150 matches (154). The Indian leggie is the only one with three hat-tricks in the tournament's 15-year-long history.
Having represented India in 22 Tests, 36 ODIs, and 10 T20Is, he'll bring immense experience to any team that picks him in the IPL 2023 auction, even if it's unlikely that he'll be seen as a first-11 option.
He's in good form too, having picked up 10 wickets from eight matches in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
#2 Mohammad Nabi
Former Afghanistan captain Mohammad Nabi will turn 38 soon. The spin all-rounder played for SunRisers Hyderabad from 2017-21. He claimed 13 wickets from 17 matches at an average of 31.38 and 180 runs, striking at 151.26. In 2022, 'The President' moved to Kolkata Knight Riders but didn't get a match.
Nabi stepped down from Afghanistan's T20 captaincy after the team's underwhelming showing at the 2022 T20 World Cup. It was one of the worst tournaments for him personally as well - 17 runs and a wicket from three games.
He can be economical and direct with his off-spin and hit the long ball on his day, but form and fitness will be a concern for any team that signs him.
The Knight Riders might want him back as a reserve for Andre Russell in the team.
#3 David Wiese
After leaving South Africa on a Kolpak deal in 2016-17, right-arm bowling all-rounder David Wiese's moment in the sun came when he helped Namibia, his father's birthplace, qualify for the Super 12 phase of the 2021 T20 World Cup.
He won two Player of the Match awards in the edition as Namibia impressed all and sundry. Soon after, he scored 48 runs and picked up five wickets as the Associate Nation defeated Zimbabwe in a five-match T20I series, their first against an ICC Full Member.
Now 37 and 209 days old, Wiese is nowhere close to the time when he was being touted as a potential replacement for Jacques Kallis. However, his variations make him a decent death bowler and like Nabi, he can hit a few runs as the finisher.
However, with the paucity of spots and abundance of younger alternatives, it's unlikely that any team will go for him in the IPL 2023 auction.
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