5 Forgotten Players of IPL History

The inaugural season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) took place in the year 2008. Since then, it has been one of the most celebrated events in India over the years. In 16 editions of the IPL that have been played so far, elite players from all over the world have taken the stage to compete for the title in the T20 spectacular. 

Also it has been a breeding ground for future stars. However, not all players have been able to continue their IPL success consistently. There are few players who won hearts in the IPL with their outstanding performances, but then faded away.

Here are 5 forgotten players of the IPL

5. Rahul Sharma

Rahul Sharma made his IPL debut in the year 2010 for Deccan Chargers. In the 2011 edition of IPL, Rahul was phenomenal as he appeared in 14 games and claimed 16 wickets at a 5.46 economy rate. Pune Warriors liked what they saw in the then-budding cricketer and drafted him into their side for the fourth season of the IPL.

Based on his sensational showings Rahul broke into the Indian white-ball setup. But he failed to continue the form and ended up taking only nine wickets from six matches, including two T20 Internationals. However, he was not able to play in the same vein in the following editions.

The former Indian cricketer’s last outing in the IPL was in 2014 where he represented Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). 

4. Swapnil Asnodkar

Swapnil Asnodkar was a bankable name in Indian domestic cricket. He appeared in 88 first-class matches and scored 5883 runs at an average of 40.02. Reviewing his List-A format, Asnodkar scored 2858 runs in 85 matches at an average of 36.17.

Asnodkar was tremendous in the first season of the IPL. He was perhaps the fastest Indian player to adapt to the IPL format. The wicket-keeper batter scored 311 runs at a strike rate of 133.47 in the inaugural IPL season while playing for Rajasthan Royals. His batting prowess were instrumental in Rajasthan Royals IPL championship victory.

However, post IPL 2008, Asnodkar failed to keep up with the expectations in the subsequent seasons. He last featured in the 2011 edition of the IPL.

3. Manpreet Gony

Manpreet Gony was a proven performer in the Indian domestic circuit. Representing Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Gony lit the inaugural edition of the IPL with his remarkable performances. He featured in 16 matches for CSK and claimed 17 wickets at an economy of 7.38. Gony played a crucial role in getting his team to the final.

Courtesy of his stunning bowling displays, he was called-up for national duty in the 50-over format. However, Gony couldn't replicate his IPL success and lacked consistency with the ball in following seasons and as a result his stocks in the IPL arena dipped significantly.

Overall, he played 44 games in the IPL and managed to get 37 wickets at an economy of 8.7. Once a CSK star, Gony retired from Indian cricket in June 2019.

2. Manvinder Bisla

Manvinder Bisla was among the league’s most well-known stories in the IPL one. He was the hero for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2012. Bisla was the one who assisted KKR win their maiden IPL title by hitting 89 runs in the final against CSK.

He initially entered the IPL in 2010 and he performed admirably with the bat for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) scoring 218 runs in 10 games at a strike rate of 122.47. In total he played 39 matches in the lucrative T20 tournament and amassed 798 runs at a strike rate of 113.68. 

However after 2012, he failed to continue the form in the next edition of the tournament and was later dropped by the team management. He no longer plays in the IPL.

1. Paul Valthaty

Paul Valthaty had a sensational outing in the 2011 tournament. He created a lot of buzz with his exploits in that year. Playing for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Valthaty displayed a fearless brand of cricket and took top-quality bowling attacks to the cleaners.

The Kings XI opener scored a magnificent hundred against CSK in the league phase. He ended the season by scoring 463 runs in 14 matches with a strike rate of 136.98. Also he was handy with his medium-pace and clinched seven wickets in the same number of outings.

However, Valthaty was not able to replicate the same in the seasons to follow. He played seven matches in 2012 and since 2013, he was not picked by any team and he faded away from the lucrative T20 tournament.