4 players who might have been in the current Indian team had the IPL not existed
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has changed the dynamics of Indian cricket. It has brought a transformation in all the departments of the game, particularly with regard to the host nation.
India's batting has become more attacking, the bowlers have started bowling well at the death, and they have one of the best fielding sides in the world right now. All these things have led to India's dominance on the international level, thereby accomplishing the objective of starting the IPL in the first place.
The T20 league has also secured the finances of many players, which in turn has helped them focus completely on their games.
Apart from these changes, the IPL has also brought a change in the selection process of the Indian team. It has overtaken the Ranji Trophy as the criterion for getting picked in the Indian squad. This has been both good and bad for the players.
While some previously unknown talents have got noticed through the IPL, a few consistent Ranji performers have been ignored. On that note, in this slideshow, we have highlighted the careers of such cricketers who would likely have been a part of the Indian team had IPL not existed.
#1 Amit Mishra
Amit Mishra was expected to partner with Harbhajan Singh after Anil Kumble's retirement to continue India's spin-bowling tradition. However, he failed to be consistent and the likes of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja took over.
Although Mishra was still used as a third spinner in some cases, the arrival of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal has reduced those opportunities as well. Players like Washington Sundar, Axar Patel and Krunal Pandya have raised the stock of spin-bowling all-rounders, and it might be difficult for the experienced leg-spinner to make a comeback.
It has to be noted here that Mishra has been a very consistent bowler for Haryana. However, his main drawback has been his failure to consistently dominate in the IPL. That has paved the way for young wrist-spinners in the Indian team, thereby making the Delhi Daredevils spinner lose any chance of being an India regular.
Without the IPL, players like Chahal and Krunal Pandya would have been difficult to unearth, and Mishra would have been a certainty in the Indian team.