The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been kind to many players, with some winning the trophy more than once, while others have yet to taste success in the cash-rich league.
Winning the world’s most prestigious T20 tournament is no easy task. It necessitates extensive planning and execution. If you want to win the best tournament, your entire team must be at its best. The majority of the players in the squad contribute significantly to their team’s success, but there are a few who have won trophies without ever playing a single game. Here are 5 Indian Players who won the IPL trophy without playing a single match :
1. Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson is best known for his time with the Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals before they were banned, but few people are aware that he was a member of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad in 2012. With players like Gautam Gambhir, Jacques Kallis, and Yusuf Pathan in the 2012 KKR squad, it was always going to be difficult for a youngster to break into the XI. He was never selected for the XI, but he was a member of an IPL-winning team before even playing his first game.
2. Abhinav Mukund
Abhinav Mukund, a left-handed opening batsman from Tamil Nadu, has represented India in Test cricket. He hasn’t quite made it to the IPL, having only appeared in three games, but he has been a part of an IPL-winning team. Mukund was a member of the 2011 Chennai Super Kings team that defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL Final. He didn’t play in a single game, but he was close enough to touch the winning trophy at the end of the tournament.
3. Axar Patel
Axar Patel made his IPL debut for Kings XI Punjab in 2014, winning the Emerging Player award, but he had previously been a member of the Mumbai Indians squad. Ricky Ponting stepped down as captain midway through the season, and Rohit Sharma was named as his replacement, leading the team to victory. Axar was a member of that team, but he, like the others, did not play a single game. He’s come a long way since then and is now a Team India regular.
4. Aditya Tare
Aditya Tare is best known for his last-ball six for the Mumbai Indians against the Rajasthan Royals, which helped them qualify for the playoffs on the basis of net run rate. Tare has always been a part of the IPL, but never as a regular member of a team. He’s also been in and out of the Mumbai Indians’ lineup. Quinton De Kock and Ishan Kishan were the main wicket-keepers for MI. It was obvious that he would only get a chance if both of them were injured.
5. Vijay Shankar
Vijay Shankar was named India’s No.4 for the 2019 World Cup, but he began his IPL career in 2015, when he appeared in his first match. The all-rounder from Tamil Nadu was also a member of the SRH squad in 2016. In 2016, SRH had a fantastic team that not only made it to the finals, but also beat RCB in a nail-biter. Vijay Shankar was present throughout the journey, but only from the outside, as he was not selected for any of the games.
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