5 players who have played for only one IPL franchise
With fresh auctions and new teams coming in the mix, a lot of players keep changing sides each year. With as many as four teams disbanded or having got suspended, there are very few players who have sworn allegiance to one side since 2010, the last year that had all the eight original franchises. Here’s a list of five players who have stayed put in one team from the start:
Virat Kohli
The Royal Challengers have been able to witness Virat Kohli’s transformation from a chubby teenager to one of the modern geniuses of the game, right through his stint from 2008, when he was inducted in the team on a youth contract. Part of the inaugural team which lacked T20 firepower, Kohli got better every season, the same way his national career started fledging.
Before the 2011 season, Kohli was the only player retained by the Challengers, and was designated as vice-captain to skipper Daniel Vettori. In his absence, he got the captaincy mantle, and became full-time captain after Vettori’s retirement. Although he still hasn’t been able to take his team past the finishing line, he has constantly amassed runs in the past few years. In all, Kohli has in excess of 3500 runs with two centuries and over 20 fifties.
Shaun Marsh
The left handed batsman from Western Australia was selected by the Kings XI in the inaugural year itself. The former U-19 player opened the batting for the Punjab franchise and looked in ominous form straight away. He ended the campaign as the Orange Cap holder, as a result of which his international career got hugely benefited.
Marsh couldn’t play next year and missed a half of the subsequent one too, but has been retained by the franchise ever since. At an impressive average of 41, Marsh has amassed 2213 runs in 62 matches, with a best of 115 to his name.
His 2016 stint was cut short by a back injury, playing just six matches this season.
Kieron Pollard
Yet another Mumbai Indians batsman, who has been plying the trade for them since his IPL debut, is Kieron Pollard, the towering all-rounder from West Indies. The entertaining Trindadian has a tendency of coming up with game changing contributions, be it with bat or ball. Always a livewire on the field, Pollard has conjured some fine performances for his team, knocks that have made him one of the most dangerous T20 batsmen throughout the world.
His military medium pace is an added asset in the middle and final overs as well, stemming the flow of runs and coming up with crucial breakthroughs. In 100+ IPL matches, he has close to 2000 runs and over 50 wickets, and has helped his side win two IPL and CLT20 titles.
Lasith Malinga
The slinger from Sri Lanka has been a force to reckon with in the Mumbai set-up, having been their key bowler for most of the nine seasons. His ability to bowl toe crushing yorkers at will, with pin-point accuracy and subtle variations, makes him a potent weapon in any bowling attack. The first bowler to take four wickets in four consecutive deliveries in international cricket, Malinga missed the inaugural edition of the league owing to a knee injury, but made amends the very next year when he was at his devastating best. He also won the purple cap in 2011.
He has an astonishing 143 wickets from 98 matches to his credit, and has led his team to victory on numerous occasions. Bowling at an economy of less than 7, he has four 4-wicket hauls and one 5-wicket haul to his name. A persistent knee injury has made him unavailable for the Mumbai team for this year.
Sunil Narine
While his international career has been marred with differences with his cricket board, controversies surrounding his action, Sunil Narine probably has never regretted a moment while playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders. Likewise, Kolkata also probably never regretted investing in a player who has not had a stellar international career.
A mystery spinner by trade, Sunil Narine initially wreaked havoc on the opposition line-up, forcing out mistakes for fun. He troubled the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma on their best days in the pitch.
Despite slowing down in terms of bowling average as people and technology started to figure him out, Narine's tally stands at 122 wickets in 110 matches, 8th on the top wicket-takers list in the IPL.
In the recent years, Narine has added pinch-hitting prowess to his arsenal, and KKR use it to their full potential, playing Narine right at the top order, getting some quick runs during the powerplay.