IPL 2025: Stars no more – Players who are beyond their prime now

IPL 2025: Are some veteran players past their best? Are they becoming a burden for their teams?

The Indian Premier League (IPL) does show reality checks as players past their prime struggle to score runs or take wickets. It tells the players that the time is ripe for them to call time on their T20 careers, or their game is not suited to the dynamics of the T20 version of the sport. A few of the current players in IPL 2025 have also passed their prime and are struggling to stay relevant in this league. Here’s a look.

Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravi Ashwin was part of two winning squads for Chennai Super Kings in 2010 and 2011. It was a homecoming for Ashwin in the 2025 IPL as he reunited with CSK. However, his exploits this season have been underwhelming as he struggled to pick up wickets or score runs with the bat. In 6 matches this season, he has managed just 5 wickets and scored just 12 runs. A look at his performance over the past few seasons shows Ashwin has been on the decline. His bowling averages, except for the 2023 season, hover in the high 40s. He has leaked runs as well, going close over 9 since last season. 

With the bat, Ashwin has been an underachiever, averaging below 15 for most seasons, while striking around 120 on average. He had a breakthrough season with the bat in the 2022 season when the Rajasthan Royals promoted him up the order as a pinch hitter to collect some quick runs. His average jumped to 27.29 and strike rate to 141 that season. However, his batting limitations to hit those boundaries and sixes never made him an ideal T20 hitter.  

Here’s a look at Ashwin’s performance in the past few IPL seasons.

Read More: Ravichandran Ashwin, the old warhorse, back to where it all began at CSK

Ravindra Jadeja
Jadeja became the hero when he slammed a six and a four off the last two balls of the 2023 IPL final to win CSK their fifth title. But since then, his efficiency with the ball has been on the decline not only in IPL, but in other formats at the international level as well. Hence, his immediate competitor, Axar Patel, has moved ahead of him in both batting position and bowling changes for India. 

Nevertheless, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is still a vital player for CSK. But his inconsistent numbers prove Jadeja, 36, has passed his prime. In his last five seasons, Jadeja has averaged above 35 with the ball in three seasons. His wicket tally has been in single digits in three out of the last five seasons.

With the bat, he has been equally inconsistent. A look at his batting performance in the last five seasons shows his inconsistencies with the bat. His batting average in the last five seasons reads 75.66, 19.33, 23.75, 44.5 and 18.4. This topsy-turvy nature of his batting is evident in his strike rate as well. It reads 145.51, 118.37, 142.86. 142.78 and 115.00. Hence, it is difficult to predict which Jadeja will turn up in a particular season.

Here’s a look at Jadeja’s performance in the last few IPL seasons.

Read More: IPL 2025: Rohit Sharma’s batting form a headache for MI?

Rohit Sharma
Mumbai Indians won five titles under Rohit Sharma. But his inconsistent batting was hurting the team and their chances of winning a title. Hence, Mumbai replaced captain Rohit with Hardik Pandya so that the former could concentrate on his batting and give the team the flying start he was doing earlier. But the current season shows Rohit has struggled to bat through the powerplay. He is smacking the balls for fours and sixes, but throwing his wicket away as quickly as well.  

A look at his batting performances of the last five IPL seasons shows Rohit’s batting has been on the wane. Except for the 2024 season, Rohit averages in the low 20s and strikes at 120s and 130s. A batter of the calibre of Rohit is capable of doing much better. A lot of this underperformance could be the high-risk, high-reward approach that Rohit has adopted, where he falters after making those quick 20-run cameos. 

Currently, Rohit’s inconsistent performance is hurting Mumbai, and it looks like he has passed his prime. 

Here’s a look at Rohit’s performance in the past few seasons:

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