4 Indian cricketers who made their debut before MS Dhoni but haven't retired yet

There are a number of cricketers who had made their debut way back in 1998, but continue to play the sport to date, as they are showing no signs of slowing down. Meanwhile, former Indian skipper MS Dhoni had announced his retirement from international cricket in August 2020.

Former Indian skipper MS Dhoni, who made his debut in 2004, announced his retirement from international cricket in August this year and is the most successful skipper for the Indian team. Nonetheless, he continues to represent and lead Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), along with other senior players.

However, you will be astonished to know that there are many other senior Indian players, who are yet to announce their retirement from the sport and are showing no signs of slowing down. In the same light, we present four such senior players, who are yet to retire, despite making their debut before Dhoni.

Amit Mishra: The leg-spinner had made his debut back in 200,3 in the ODIs. Since then, he has gone on to represent India in all formats, claiming 156 international wickets, while he has made the best impact in Tests, claiming 76 in 20 matches at an average of 35.7, including a five-for and a couple of four-for. He continues to represent Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he holds the record of claiming the most hat-tricks (3), as he is still going strong at the age of 37.

Parthiv Patel: The Indian wicketkeeper-batsman had made his debut in 2002, at the age of just 17, as he is the youngest wicketkeeper to debut in Tests. Since then, he too has represented India in all formats, scoring only 1,706 international runs. Although he might be out of contention for Team India, he has not retired from any form, while he continues to represent Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), aged 35. He is likely to continue doing so, as he still has some cricket left in him. However, it would be interesting to see how big of an impact he can make at this stage.

Dinesh Karthik: Another Indian wicketkeeper-batsman, he made his debut in 2004, just three months prior to Dhoni. Since then, he has been an integral part of Indian cricket. However, most of his career has been overshadowed by Dhoni, as he was effectively utilised as the latter's back-up. Nonetheless, he has managed to score 3,176 international runs, while he has represented India in 94 ODIS, scoring 1,752 runs at an average of 30.2. He was also a part of India's 2007 ICC World T20-winning squad. At the age of 35, he still has cricket aplenty in him, as he continues to play in the IPL, currently contracted to former two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Besides, he also holds the record of most catches as a wicketkeeper in the tournament to date.

Harbhajan Singh: The lanky off-spinner is one of the most successful spinners for the Indian team, after Anil Kumble. Having made his debut way back in 1998, he is 40 years old but is showing no signs of ageing. To date, he has claimed more than 700 international wickets, including 417 in Tests, at an average of 32.5. He is also the first Indian to take a Test hat-trick, besides helping India win the 2007 WT20 and the 2011 ICC World Cup. He continues to play in the IPL, where he is currently contracted to former three-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and is giving his best.