5 foreign players who had a 5-year gap between 2 IPL appearances ft. Ashton Turner
IPL is one of the most-followed cricket tournaments on earth. It is the dream of almost every cricketer to be a part of the league one day.
However, the league only has 10 teams with a maximum squad size of 25, meaning around 250 cricketers can be a part of one season. On top of that, each team is only allowed to pick a maximum of eight foreign players.
There is cut-throat competition between players, especially the overseas ones, for the spots in the squads. It is impossible for any player to retain his place in the team if he fails consistently. The franchise owners have shown that they do not care much about the reputation but focus on the performances only.
However, certain players managed to make a comeback to the IPL after being dropped once. Some of them made an instant return, while the others took time. In this listicle now, we will look at five such foreign players who returned to the league after a break of five or more years.
#1 Ashton Turner returned to IPL after a gap of 5 years and 3 days
Ashton Turner made his Lucknow Super Giants debut last night against the Mumbai Indians at the Bharat Ratna Shree Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium. Turner had a forgettable debut as he managed just five runs off nine balls.
Interestingly, it was Turner's highest score in IPL. He played four innings for Rajasthan Royals in 2019, where he returned with scores of 0, 0, 0 and 3*. His last match for RR was on April 27, 2019, and his next IPL appearance came on April 30, 2024 for LSG.
#2 David Wiese returned after a gap of 7 years and 6 days
David Wiese represented Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2015 and 2016 seasons of the league. His last appearance for RCB came on April 17, 2016 against Delhi Capitals.
No teams showed interest in Wiese after that until Kolkata Knight Riders snapped him up at the IPL 2023 Auction. He debuted for KKR on April 23, 2023 against Chennai Super Kings, marking his first appearance in the league after 7 years and 6 days.
#3 Wayne Parnell returned after a gap of almost 9 years
South African speedster Wayne Parnell made his debut in the league for Pune Warriors in 2011. In 2014, he moved to Delhi Daredevils and played his last match for the franchise on May 23, 2014 against Mumbai Indians.
After remaining unsold at multiple auctions, Parnell returned to the league in 2023. He debuted for RCB against LSG on April 10, 2023, ending a drought of 3,242 days without an IPL appearance.
#4 Rilee Rossouw had a gap of almost 8 years between 2 appearances
Current Punjab Kings batter Rilee Rossouw made his debut for RCB against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 4, 2014. He played his last match for RCB on April 22, 2015 against CSK.
After a gap of 2,899 days, Rossouw made his return to the tournament, playing for Delhi Capitals. He turned up for DC in a match against Lucknow Super Giants on April 1, 2023.
#5 Matthew Wade has the longest gap by an overseas player between 2 appearances
Current Gujarat Titans wicketkeeper Matthew Wade had a gap of 3,962 days between two appearances. He played for Delhi Daredevils in 2011, with his last appearance coming on May 21, 2011 against the Pune Warriors.
The Australian wicketkeeper remained away from the league for more than a decade. On March 28, 2022, Wade was a member of Gujarat Titans' first-ever playing XI against Lucknow Super Giants. He ended up winning the IPL that season.