IPL 2021: 4 players you didn’t know played IPL, No.1 will shock you

IPL 2021: 4 players you didn’t know played IPL, No.1 will shock you:R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja are Indian Premier League’s (IPL) biggest to Indian cricket. There exploits in the swashbuckling tournament have made them a household name. While some players managed to make their names through IPL, just like the trio, others got lost in time.

When IPL was introduced in 2008, the organisers had promised to unearth young raw talent from unknown spaces of India and give them exposure to turn their dream into reality. Over 13 seasons now, and 14th in the offing, players have come and gone, but only a few have managed to leave their impression. Here are 4 players who played in IPL but are now forgotten.

If Mark Waugh was known for his silken stroke-play, then Damien Martyn will be remembered for the elegant and classical style of batting. Former Australian cricketer announced his retirement in 2006 but bagged his first IPL contract in 2010 with Rajasthan Royals. However, he was played in just one match against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Australia’s middle-order juggernaut was bought for $100,000 and scored 19 runs at a strike rate of 79.17 on his debut.

The former Windies batsman made his international debut against Pakistan in 2000. He had a memorable outing, scoring an impressive 84 at the age of 19. He was soon appointed the national captain. However, a spate of injuries and form slump meant that his captaincy was short-lived. In 2008, the former West Indian cricketer was bought by Kings XI Punjab and his last IPL match was against Chennai Super Kings. He played four matches and scored 73 runs – his highest being 31 at the strike rate of 97.33

A classical opener, Aakash Chopra had a technique and temperament which was perfectly suited for the occupation of the crease in the red-ball cricket. These attributes came in handy at the time when India was desperately looking for a pair of good openers. However, after a right-knee injury had laid him low at the end of 2002-03.

Notably, Chopra started the new season with a sound batting display in the two-series at home against New Zealand. But when it comes to IPL, he could not replicate the same at the marquee tournament. Bought by Kolkata in 2008, he played seven games but could only manage 53 runs.

He is arguably one of the most talented batsmen ever but never did justice to his talent. The Bangladesh batsman, however, had few moments of brilliance at the international level. He is still the youngest cricketer to score a century at the tender age of 17. And such glimpses of brilliance were enough to bag him a contract with Mumbai Indians in 2009. However, he could not break into playing XI. Ashraful played just one match and managed to score just two runs.