The next big event in terms of men's cricket is the T20 World Cup 2026. The 20-team tournament will be held in India and Sri Lanka spanning February and March next year. The fast-paced tournament, like
every edition, is hyped for the action which will unfold and understandably so.
Teams entering the competition will be expected to announce their squads closer into the buildup of the tournament. A mix of young talent and experienced players are expected to feature in the squads. However, it might be the end of the road for several players in terms of their respective T20I careers.
Here are top 5 cricketers who may retire after 2026 T20 World Cup
5. Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan)
Mohammad Nabi has been a tremendous servant to Afghanistan cricket. Nabi along with others has been instrumental in putting Afghanistan on the global cricketing map. His lower-order hitting along with some smart and deceptive off spin places him amongst a list of some fine all-rounders in the shortest format of the game.
Born on January 1, he will be 41 by the time the T20 World Cup arrives. With the physical demands of cricket increasing and Nabi's previously-stated desire of focusing on domestic leagues or coaching, it is highly likely that he hangs up his boots from international cricket as a whole.
4. Kusal Perera (Sri Lanka)
Kusal Perera has been a solid left-handed batter for Sri Lanka in the limited-overs formats. He began his white-ball career on an encouraging note and slowly became a crucial component to the top-order of the Lankans. Perera's brute force would give his side some solid starts up top.
Fast-forward to now, his form has left much to be desired. Barring Sri Lanka's final Asia Cup 2025 clash which was a dead rubber (in which he scored 58 off 32), Perera did not register even one 30-plus score in the remaining five matches. Similar form during the T20 World Cup 2026 could have him sidelined from the white-ball scene altogether. This could lead to an unfortunate retirement.
3. Marcus Stoinis (Australia)
Marcus Stoinisunexpectedly announced retirement from ODI cricket just before the 2025 Champions Trophy. A statement from Cricket Australia read that he did so to completely devote his focus to T20 cricket and franchise 20-over cricket.
Stoinis is a genuine batting all-rounder who has consistently performed well for Australia in the white-ball formats. He is one such player who has been vital for his bashing skills in the middle-order and contributes with the ball too. There might be a case that he goes a step further and calls it a day from international cricket after the T20 World Cup 2026.
2. Johnson Charles (West Indies)
The likelihood is minimal for Johnson Charlesto make a comeback in ODIs. His last appearance for West Indies in the 50-over format came during the World Cup 2023 Qualifier in July 2023. He has been out of favour with selectors and not really been consistent when it comes to form.
With 212 runs in 10 innings, he had a CPL 2025 campaign to forget. Even if Charles gets selected for the T20 World Cup next year, it is highly unlikely that the management sticks around with him after the tournament if he does not deliver according to their expectations. In that case, an international retirement could be on the cards.
1. Adil Rashid (England)
Adil Rashid has unofficially retired from Test cricket already. The last time he played a red-ball game for England was way back in January 2019. Since then, he has been involved heavily in the English white-ball setup. There is no doubt about the importance of Rashid to England. Often times, he has been the sole frontline spinner in the side.
Rashid will be 38 by the time the T20 World Cup 2026 concludes. If he is fit enough, he might still be in the plans of the England and Wales Cricket Board. However, if not, Rashid might get sidelined for a younger player. In turn, this might lead him to retire after the tournament and before the 50-over World Cup in South Africa.
