MS Dhoni Not Alone! Indian Legends Who Have Become Burden On Their IPL Franchises

Indian legends who have become liability in IPL [Source: AFP]

The Indian Premier League was started in 2008, and since then, the tournament has given birth to many star players, who have gone on to represent India across formats. The likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, and others all made a name for themselves after playing in the best T20 league- IPL.

The IPL started 19 years ago, and while the league has certainly given rise to legends, and has turned players from a prodigy to world-class talent, it has also witnessed world-class Indian legends become a burden on their side.

In this piece, we take a look at 5 Indian legends who are IPL’s vital cog, but in 2026, have become a liability on their teams.

1) MS Dhoni

Perhaps the greatest captain in IPL history, MS Dhoni, is not only an Indian legend for his immense contribution, but also an IPL great for winning five titles with the Chennai Super Kings. He was the most expensive player in the inaugural IPL edition, and since then, he has gone from strength to strength in the league.

However, it is 2026, and despite being 44-years-old, MSD is still playing the IPL. He is less than 50% fit at the moment, and the CSK franchise even retained him under the uncapped players’ category.

Once, he used to bat in the top five, but in the last two IPL campaigns, things have drastically changed as MSD bats at number 8, and sometimes even number 9. The franchise retained him despite the legendary batter not contributing much to the side.

His hitting abilities are still one of the best, but he plays way down the order for the ability to be maximised. Instead of promoting a younger keeper in the playing XI, CSK is still stuck with a 44-year-old player.

2) Rohit Sharma

Apart from MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma is the only other IPL captain to win five championships. In fact, he has six IPL titles ( 5 as captain, 1 as player). Rohit became a household name after his exploits in the inaugural IPL season, but over the years, the output from his bat has reduced.

The last time Rohit had an IPL season with more than 500 runs was way back in 2013, and from 2020 onwards, his output as a top order batter reduced significantly.

Before 2024, he was even removed as the captain of the Mumbai Indians, and at 38, Rohit is not getting any younger, and at the same time, his performances keep on fluctuating.

He is not the same T20 batter anymore, and while Rohit is certainly an IPL legend, his outout has dropped, and he has become a burden on his franchise.

3) Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja will forever be remembered for his final two balls exploit in the IPL 2023 finals, but apart from that, the all-rounder has given countless moments to cherish. He started out as an RR player, but made a name for himself with CSK.

Just like Rohit, Jadeja’s output has also decreased over the years. With the bat, he has struggled to score quick runs, and with the ball, his exploits have reduced.

Just like Rohit, Jadeja’s output has also decreased over the years. With the bat, he has struggled to score quick runs, and with the ball, his exploits have been reduced. His batting strike rate has always come under scrutiny, and since the start of the 2025 season, Jadeja has only scalped 13 IPL wickets.

He is getting 16 crores, playing in the IPL, but the salary justification is a hard task as Jadeja neither strikes aggressively, nor he takes wickets at regular intervals.

Also Read: Rohit Sharma Ruled Out Of IPL 2026 Matches? Latest Update Issued

4) Ajinkya Rahane

Yes, KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane is scoring quick runs in the powerplay, and the Mumbai batter has reinvented his style of play, but outside the powerplay, his numbers are average. He fails to consistently clear the ropes, and it puts pressure on other batters (outside the powerplay overs).

In the last two IPL seasons, the majority of his runs have come inside the first 6 overs, and there is a theory that he slows down once the field spreads. In the last three seasons, his strike rate outside the powerplay is 148, 110, and 118, respectively, and this has led to the pressure on others.

It has also taken a toll on his captaincy as Rahane now has the second-worst captaincy win ratio in IPL history.

5) KL Rahul

Every season, KL Rahul comes, and he scores truckloads of IPL runs. However, when was the last time his runs helped the team reach the playoffs? How many times did he score in important IPL games? 

In IPL 2025, he slammed 539 runs for DC, and in 2024, he struck 520 runs. Despite scoring heavily, his strike rate has been under the microscope, and it has been the trend since the start of 2020.

He takes time to settle inside the powerplay, and that affects the team template as the aggressive batting is missing, and this was one of the main reasons why LSG released KL Rahul from their squad before the mega auction.

Also Read: BCCI Ruthlessly Punishes RCB’s Tim David; Hardik Pandya Penalised For His Actions