The Indian Premier League (IPL) turned 18 with the 2025 season. The T20 league has come a long way since its inception back in 2008.
Many players have come and gone in this journey, but only a few have been around all along the way. It takes a lot of dedication and, of course, a top-notch fitness level to play for a longer time.
And here are the four cricketers who have shown their longevity in the IPL by playing in all 18 seasons.
MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni set the inaugural IPL auction on fire. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) spent USD 1.5 million to acquire the services of Captain Cool.
And MSD proved every penny’s worth as he led the team to five titles, 10 finals, and 12 playoffs. That’s some consistency!
Although he doesn’t bat a lot these days, he has had some impactful knocks in the league lower down the order. MSD’s tally of over 4700 runs is the highest for CSK.
And what to say about his keeping? He is still the quickest behind the wickets!
In between, Dhoni also turned up for Rising Pune Supergiant for two seasons in 2016 and 2017 when CSK faced a two-year suspension.
Also Read | MS Dhoni’s 7 Remarkable Records in IPL History
Virat Kohli
The one franchise guy, Virat Kohli, has been with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) all along. He is the only player to play for a team throughout the league’s history.
RCB signed a rookie Kohli ahead of the inaugural season and backed him to the hilt.
The result? He is now the lead run-getter in the IPL, with over 8000 runs, all for RCB.
Well, Kohli hasn’t yet won the trophy, but he carried the team close to the silverware in 2016 with his 973-run effort. Now he would like to make the 18th season special with a title victory.
Also Read | 4 Fascinating Records Held by Virat Kohli in IPL
Rohit Sharma
The first thing that comes to mind after reading Rohit Sharma’s name is the five IPL titles he won for Mumbai Indians (MI). Now he isn’t MI’s captain anymore, he leads the run chart for them.
But before all this, Sharma set out with Deccan Chargers in 2008. He helped them win the IPL in 2009 with his all-round performances. And after three impactful seasons with the Chargers, MI snapped him up in 2011.
Just into his third season with MI, the franchise handed him the captaincy midway. And he delivered an instant result with their maiden title in 2013.
Then the next seven years saw MI’s pure dominance in the IPL. Mumbai added four more titles under Sharma’s leadership.
Also Read | Rohit Sharma’s 8 Astonishing Records in T20I Cricket
Manish Pandey
Unlike the three players above, Manish Pandey has had stints with several IPL teams. Among them, his outings with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have been noteworthy.
After an unnoticeable 2008 season with MI, Pandey grabbed attention with his century for RCB in 2009. He was, in fact, the first Indian to get to the triple-digit figures in the IPL. He spent another season with RCB before joining Pune Warriors in 2011.
But it was in 2014, when Pandey had a breakout season with KKR, as he helped them win the trophy. He was with them for three more seasons before a four-year run with SRH.
But since 2022, his form has taken a dip. He had short stints with Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals before he returned to KKR in 2024. Pandey isn’t getting a lot of opportunities but would like to turn things around.
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