Overview:

The Indian Premier League has long served as a platform where ‘talent meets opportunity’, as inscribed on the IPL trophy itself, and has successfully shaped the lives of those talents who have made their way to the top league.

The IPL has worked as a launchpad that has catapulted talented cricketers into the world of international cricket and that has been the case not just for Indian uncapped players like Hardik Pandya who was called up for national duty days after a phenomenal season with the bat for the Mumbai Indians but also for the likes of Shaun Marsh who went on to score over 600 runs in just over 10 matches for Kings XI Punjab as a youngster who had not yet made it to the Australian National Cricket team.

As the 17th edition of the IPL is all set to begin on the 22nd of March, let’s take a look at some of those talents who started their IPL journey as youngsters back in 2008 and thereafter have become stalwarts of the game and in turn, players who have never missed a single IPL season.

Players who have never missed a single IPL season:

1. M.S. Dhoni

With 16 IPL editions under his belt, Captain Cool has never missed a single IPL season. This clearly defines the passion that this true ambassador of the sport holds for the game especially, considering the fact that most of Dhoni’s counterparts have already retired and some of them are even serving as mentors in various IPL teams.

Teams that M.S. Dhoni has played for:

1.Chennai Super Kings(2008-2015 & 2018-present)

2.Rising Pune Super Giants(2016-2017)

2. Virat Kohli

Bangalore’s favorite boy holds multiple records when it comes to IPL, but this one is quite special as it is a testament to the sheer dedication and devotion that Kohli-the sportsman has for the game. Owing to this passion that Virat has for cricket he is one of those few players who has featured in every season of the tournament since its inception.

Teams that Virat Kohli has played for:

1.Royal Challengers Bangalore(2008-present)

3. Dinesh Karthik

DK is one of those underrated players who spent the better part of his career waiting for the right opportunities to exhibit his role as finisher batting down the order but hardly making it count when he did make it to the playing XI.

But that surely does not portray the true potential the player hosts. He has been an invaluable asset for all the IPL teams that he has played for over the course of the past 16 years and surely that has helped him sustain himself in the league while many others faded away.

Teams that Dinesh Karthik has played for:

1.Delhi Daredevils(2008-2010 & 2014)

2.Kings XI Punjab(2011)

3.Mumbai Indians(2012-2013)

4.Royal Challengers Bangalore(2015 & 2022-present)

4.Gujarat Lions(2016-2017)

6.Kolkata Knight Riders(2018-2021)

4. Rohit Sharma

‘Hit Man’ is the most successful IPL captain in the history of the league starting off with his first title win in 2013 as captain of the Mumbai Indians and going on to become 5 time champion captain for the very same team. This speaks volumes about the control and command that Rohit has over the game.

He is also the only Indian player who has scored a century and  taken a hattrick in the history of the league and is one of the few players who have never missed a single IPL season.

Teams that Rohit Sharma has played for:

1.Deccan Chargers(2008-2010)

2.Mumbai Indians(2011-present)

5. Shikhar Dhawan

Speaking of experienced players no one can ever take this name out of the list especially when it comes to performing under pressure. The man is a legend in the world of T20 cricket and has brought immense success to whichever franchise he has played for over  the past editions of the tournament.

Gabbar has been hitting the ball hard and hitting it well and his fans hope that he continues to do so in the very same fashion this time as well.

Teams that Shikhar Dhawan has played for:

1.Delhi Daredevils(2008)

2.Mumbai Indians(2009-2010)

3.Deccan Chargers(2011-2012)

4.Sunrisers Hyderabad(2013-2018)

5.Delhi Capitals(2019-2021)

6.Punjab Kings(2022-present)

6. Wriddhiman Saha

Wriddhiman Saha’s journey in IPL has been quite similar to Dinesh Karthik’s story, great player with great potential but unable to make it through at the right time. Barring the century that he scored in 2014 IPL Final match against the Kolkata Knight Riders and some good knocks here and there his overall IPL journey has not been as captivating or exhilarating as a player of his potential should have had.

The common thing that overlaps between Wriddhi and DK is that both of them are exceptional wicketkeepers who have proved their mettle as good batters on a handful of occasions, but this was not enough to get past that finish line when you are competing against the likes of M.S. Dhoni who is known for his agility as a keeper and explosive batting as a finisher.

Teams that Wriddhiman Saha has played for:

1.Kolkata Knight Riders(2008-2010)

2.Chennai Super Kings(2011-2013)

3.Kings XI Punjab(2014-2017)

4.Sunrisers Hyderabad(2018-2021)

5.Gujarat Titans(2022-present)

This is the complete list of players who have never missed an IPL season.