IPL 2025: Top three veterans who still have what it takes at the big stage

IPL 2025: Three veteran stars who continue to shine season after season — what’s the secret behind their consistency?

The Indian Premier League has changed the course of cricket. Earlier cricket was more technical, but now, it has evolved to explosiveness. With such transitions, the old guns are getting rusty. Not many players are able to cope up with the pace of the game now. However, there are few players, who have evolved with time and who still have what it takes at the big stage. 

Here, we analyse the top three in the category.

Virat Kohli: Powerhouse of IPL
No matter if it’s a World Cup match or a franchise cricket game, we always see the legend of the game – King Kohli – performing and winning matches for his team. Even when it comes to numbers, no other player stands close to what he has achieved over the years. His hunger and aggression are, in fact, an inspiration for youngsters.

Now that new players are coming up, he’s still able to cope with the pace of the game and continues to prove that he has what it takes on the big stage. While other veterans like Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni are struggling with form, Kohli still has his formula for scoring runs intact.

Virat Kohli, the face of RCB, has scored three fifties in six IPL games so far, showing how he’s still in his zone. He is consistently guiding the team from the front, with his experience coming in very handy for the franchise. The reason he is able to deliver even in his 18th IPL edition is his fitness and mindset. He is as fit as any 20-year-old in the team.

Interestingly, his graph has only gone up over the years. He has evolved and consistently improved. In the last three seasons, including the current one, his strike rates have been 139.82, 154.70, and 143.35. Initially, his shot range was limited, and hitting a six wasn’t easy. But now, thanks to all the hard work, he has transformed into a complete powerhouse. Last season, Kohli smashed 38 sixes—the same number he hit in 2016, when he was at his prime.

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Bhuvneshwar Kumar: IPL’s Mr. Consistent
The swing king, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, has been setting the stage on fire with his bowling in the IPL. While many bowlers are being hit for massive sixes, Bhuvi consistently manages to keep things tight. In the ongoing season, he has taken 6 wickets in 5 games, maintaining an impressive economy rate of just 7.84.

We see a lot of young players emphasising speed and variations, but it’s Bhuvi who backs his strength of swing and, in turn, delivers better than most. A lot of credit for that goes to his participation in the UP Premier League and domestic cricket.

Another thing worth noting is that it’s hard for a medium pacer to have a prolonged career, considering the amount of injuries they face. Hence, it’s commendable how he still manages to stay in shape and deliver at the highest level.

Earlier, Bhuvi was the core member of SRH’s side, but this year, he is with RCB, and his franchise is winning games because of his massive contributions. With the abundance of experience — having played 181 games in the IPL so far — he knows exactly how to win matches for his team.

His plans are very simple, but his execution is spot on. If it’s the powerplay, we’ll see him swinging the ball both ways; if it’s the death overs, we’ll see him bowling those cutters and slower ones. Hence, adaptability and versatility are the reasons behind his consistency.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar in IPL 

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Sunil Narine: From bowling enigma to complete all rounder 
When Sunil Narine first came in, he was a mystery bowler making perfect use of the subcontinent conditions. For a long time, batters were perplexed by his variations and were quite deceived by his action. But just when one thought Sunil Narine was all about spin bowling, he delivered another mystery with his explosive batting.

Cut to the present — he is one of the best all-rounders in the IPL. Currently 36, he still has what it takes to perform at the highest level. In fact, he holds the record for the highest number of wickets (185 wickets) by any foreign player in the IPL.

From 2012 till 2016, he played as a specialist spinner, but it was in 2017 when he shocked the cricketing fraternity with his batting. That year, he got his first big break as a batter, scoring 224 runs in 16 matches. Even in the last match against CSK, when others were struggling and finding it hard to score boundaries, he faced no trouble doing the same.

Now, for the past few years, he has been KKR’s go-to man — be it with the ball or the bat.

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