Ever so often, athletes peak too early in sports. Some players show flashes of brilliance but are unable to make their mark early on the international platform. Indian Premier League (IPL) has given us many one-season or two-season wonders. Here’s a look at these players across seasons:
Kamran Khan
Kamran Khan burst into the scene in IPL 2009. The left-arm fast bowler played for Rajasthan Royals (RR). Spotted during a suburban T20 tournament, Kamran was touted as Indian cricket’s next big thing by Rajasthan skipper Shane Warne. But his action was deemed illegal in 2011. Even after correcting it, the youngster’s talent couldn’t translate into success.
Paul Valthaty
Paul Valthaty is known for his century in IPL 2011 for Kings XI Punjab (KXIP). The promising opener’s performances were hindered by injuries and he was ignored by franchises thereafter. In 2011, it was reported that Valthaty now plays for Air India to earn a living.
Swapnil Asnodkar
Asnodkar was an exciting talent in IPL’s inaugural season. The wicketkeeper-batsman opened with Graeme Smith giving solid starts to the team throughout first season. But he struggled with form in later seasons. The Goan batsman retired from all forms of cricket in 2018.
Manpreet Gony
IPL 2008 introduced a new fast bowling talent in the form of Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) frontline bowler Manpreet Gony. Impressed with his IPL form, Gony was also included in Team India, but his lacklustre performances against Hong Kong and Bangladesh did not work in his favour. After CSK, Manpreet played for KXIP and unlike most on this list, he played in 7 IPL seasons.
Manvinder Bisla
The underrated batsman, Manvinder Bisla was at his peak playing for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Bisla showed flashes of brilliance pulling off match-winning innings, but franchise cricket can be cruel and a few bad games later, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) dropped him.
Rahul Sharma
Leg-spinner Rahul Sharma made a memorable IPL debut by taking Sachin Tendulkar’s wicket. But he was dropped after playing 4 ODIs & 2 T20Is for India after he was detained at a party in Mumbai and tested positive for narcotics.
Sudeep Tyagi
Sudeep Tyagi got the better of the mighty AB de Villiers during the South Africa leg of IPL 2009. He was also touted as the ‘next big thing’ of Indian cricket. After representing CSK for two years, he graduated to Team India for four ODIs. But his international stint did not last, followed by the end of his IPL career.
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