3 players who made a comeback to IPL in 2023 after a gap of more than 2000 days
IPL 2023 started on March 31, and the first month of the tournament is about to end. Thirty-three matches of the competition are done and dusted. It has been a fantastic tournament so far, with multiple matches being decided on the last ball.
Apart from final-over thrillers, this year's Indian Premier League season has earned a lot of attention from fans because of the comebacks made by the players. Veteran players like Mohit Sharma, Ishant Sharma, Piyush Chawla, and Amit Mishra have all made impressive comebacks to the league after remaining unsold in the 2022 season.
Mohit and Ishant have also been adjudged as the Player of the Match award winners courtesy of their brilliant performances for Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals, respectively.
While Mohit, Ishant, Chawla, and Mishra played in the 2020-21 edition, the following three names made a return to the league after staying away for more than 2,000 days (almost six years).
#3 Rilee Rossouw returned to IPL in 2023 after a gap of 2,899 days
South African star Rilee Rossouw made his debut in the 2014 season for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). RCB retained him for the 2015 season as well. Across the 2014 and 2015 seasons, the left-handed batter played five matches, scoring a total of 53 runs, with his highest score being 24.
RCB released Rossouw, and he failed to earn a contract from any of the teams until the 2023 season. After his brilliant performances for South Africa in T20I cricket, the Delhi Capitals (DC) signed him for the 2023 edition of the league.
DC picked him in their playing XI for their season opener against the Lucknow Super Giants on April 1, 2023. It was 2,899 days after Rossouw's last IPL game for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Chennai Super Kings on April 22, 2015.
#2 Wayne Parnell returned in 2023 after a gap of 3,242 days
Another South African to feature on this list is Wayne Parnell. The left-arm fast bowler remained unsold at the 2023 season's auction, but he came back to the league as a replacement for Reece Topley in the RCB squad.
Parnell made his debut for the Pune Warriors in 2011 and later moved to Delhi Daredevils. His last appearance before the 2023 season came on May 23, 2014, for Delhi against Mumbai Indians. After a gap of 3,242 days, he played for RCB against the Lucknow Super Giants on April 10, 2023.
#1 Harpreet Singh Bhatia returned to IPL in 2023 after 3,981 days
Harpreet Singh Bhatia recently set a new record for the longest gap between two appearances in the league. Bhatia played his first game for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2010. He moved to Pune Warriors in 2011 and played his last game for them on May 19, 2012 against KKR.
After 3,981 days, Bhatia earned a place in the Punjab Kings playing XI for their match against Lucknow Super Giants on April 15, 2023. He recently played a magnificent knock of 41 runs against the Mumbai Indians.