5 players you didn't know played the IPL

A mishmash of promising youngsters trying to engineer a bright career and creaking bones trying to salvage whatever’s left of theirs: the IPL has something in it for everyone. In all the frenzy and razzmatazz, lots of players get lost – some don’t fit the T20 bill, others are caught in non-cricketing affairs, while the rest just don’t have it in them to edge out the first choice players in the first XI. This year, only 66 of the enlisted 352 players managed to make it to one of the teams.

During the first few seasons of the IPL, several international names enlisted themselves for the exciting prospect, hopeful of earning big bucks and staying relevant in the fast changing format. Here are five international players you might have forgotten were once part of an IPL franchise:

Misbah Ul Haq (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

The Pakistani batsman, who took his team till the finishing line in the World T20 2007 but faltered at the last step, was picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first edition after his fine batting performances in the shortest format. A batsman in the Test mould, Misbah has the gift of improvising and playing attacking shots whenever the situation demands. However, his IPL stint was limited to just eight appearances, before the Pakistani players were snubbed in IPL auctions after political tension between the two countries.

He continues to be the captain of the Pakistani Test side.