5 players who embraced their way in Indian Cricket Team through IPL.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been a platform for a number of players to crack their way into the big leagues and play for their respective national teams on the International level. It has set a benchmark for players to show that they are capable enough to hang with the absolute greats of the game.
With time, the IPL has produced a bunch of promising prospects. Today, these players represent their respective national teams after having been hardened in the IPL.
Here, we look at five of these players who have skimmed their way into the Indian Cricket team through the IPL.
#1 Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya is one of those all-rounders India was looking for, to strengthen their lower order. His IPL journey started when the Mumbai Indians franchise signed him to a contract for the 2015 edition of the tournament. He shot his rep in this league, proclaiming his talent in every department on the field. Later, he displayed his talent in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament in January 2016. Pandya was the highest run-getter for Baroda with 377 runs in 10 innings at an average of 53.85, plus he took a total of 10 wickets in that season.
He was then subsequently called up for the limited-overs tour to Australia, where he made his international debut on January 26, 2016. He immediately impressed selectors with his performance, which then led towards Pandya securing a position for the upcoming home series against New Zealand. By this time, he had worked on his swing bowling skills and was hitting the 140s regularly, troubling batsmen with his rack length. In fact, having been a part of the 2016 World T20, he helped Indian Team to secure a must-win victory against Bangladesh, defending 11 runs in his last over.
Hardik Pandya holds several records in International cricket. In his ODI debut, he became the 4th Indian to win Man of the match for his spell of 3 for 31 against New Zealand at Dharamsala. His knock against Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy proved that he had the ability to become a dependable finisher. This knock broke the record of the fastest half-century in the tournament, excelling Adam Gilchrist and scoring 76 runs off just 43 balls in the process.
He remains a vital cog in India's 2019 World Cup plans, providing a much-needed balance in the side.