5 Cricketers Who Played IPL Before Playing International Cricket

IPL – the Game Changer

Since the inception of IPL in 2008, it has provided many talented cricketers a perfect platform to showcase their talent. IPL has proved to be a powerful platform using which cricketers have made their way into the national side. Without IPL, these players would have made it to the Indian team but probably would have taken a while to get noticed by the fans and selectors.

Along with providing a perfect opportunity for upcoming cricketers, IPL has brought in a lot of money that hardly anyone would have imagined. Some players made their way in IPL teams without playing for the national side. They showcased their talent and got noticed, eventually making their way to the Indian Cricket team.

Following is the list of 5 cricketers who played IPL before making their International debut:

1. Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli, the captain of the Indian cricket team across all formats, was picked by the Royal Bangalore Challengers in 2008. Before being picked, he had led the Indian U-19 team to a world cup glory in Malaysia.

After the 2008 IPL season was over, Virat got picked for the Indian cricket team and debuted in August 2008 against Sri Lanka. Since then, this impeccable cricketer has achieved great heights and is a legend in the making, if not already one.

Ever since making his debut for RCB in 2008, Virat has been playing with the same franchise and is also the captain of it.

2. Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin, a talented off-spinner, delivered some amazing spells in the second season of the IPL for Chennai Super Kings. Dhoni, his captain at CSK, backed him a lot, and soon Ashwin was seen playing his first international match against Sri Lanka. 

At that time, Harbhajan Singh was India’s preferred off-spinner, but Ashwin made his way up and eventually was picked for the 2011 world cup. After the world cup was over, Ashwin overtook Harbhajan Singh as the preferred off-spinner across all formats.

The graph of Ashwin as an off-spinner has only gone up, and it seems like there is no stopping this talented cricketer.

3.  Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah, in his first match against RCB, bamboozled the batsmen with his unique bowling action. He scalped 3 wickets, one of them being Virat Kohli. The world noticed the immense talent that this fast bowler, with unusual action, had.

Soon after becoming one of the reliable bowlers for Mumbai Indians, Bumrah made his way to the Indian cricket team and has never looked back since.

He has left batsmen absolutely clueless with his craft and seems to be getting better with every passing day. Bumrah is so relied upon that he is an automatic pick for the Indian cricket team across all formats.

4. Hardik Pandya

The flamboyant all-rounder Hardik Pandya came across as a powerful striker of the ball and a handy medium pacer during IPL. After making a massive impact with Mumbai Indian in the 2015 IPL season, selectors picked him for India’s tour of Australia in 2016.

With consistency and the ability to change the course of the game in matter of a few overs, Hardik Pandya has become India’s first-choice seam bowling all-rounder across all three formats.

5. Rishab Pant

The power-hitting wicket-keeper came to the limelight after his smashing performances in the 2016 U-19 world cup. While there was no question about the immense talent that he possessed, the real question was whether he could demolish much stronger bowling attacks.

When he showed his power game in IPL against some brilliant bowling attacks, selectors knew that Rishab Pant belonged to the highest level. He was given his first opportunity to play international cricket in 2017 when he played a T20I against England.  

 IPL fantasy league 2020 – KhelChamps

With the IPL 2020 scheduled to begin from 19th September, you will see the cricketing stars mentioned above and many others in action. This year the IPL has moved to UAE to ensure the safety of players and staff. The IPL will be played with empty stands, an unusual sight that IPL fans will have to get used to.

The IPL 2020 brings an exciting opportunity for all fantasy IPL to be a part of the IPL fantasy 2020 league and earn real cash. You can play fantasy cricket on new fantasy cricket apps as well as on dependable fantasy cricket app – KhelChamps App. With features such as quick withdrawal, ease of setting up a fantasy IPL team, massive bonuses, multiple cash-rich contests, and a 24*7 support team, KhelChamps App stands out from the rest.

To get started with the KhelChamps app, you will need to download the app. It is available for iOS as well as Android users. Once you are done downloading the app, register on the same with your mobile number. Then embark on your IPL fantasy journey by creating a user id and setting a password.

With so many exciting IPL matches ahead, what are you waiting for? Download the KhelChamps app and start enjoying the IPL t20 fantasy league.