5 T20 overseas stars who lit up the IPL, but briefly
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the most celebrated T20 league in the world. The two month long cricket extravaganza offers plenty of entertainment for the crowd and a hefty pay for the tickets. Therefore, all the top players from across the world flock the IPL auction list to show their skills in front of packed stadiums.
Most of these star players have performed outstandingly in the IPL. However, while some of them have sustained the performance for many years, others have dazzled the stage for a brief period before disappearing into oblivion. Everyone can name the players that fall in the former category.
This article focuses on the latter – the international players who have had great success in T20s but have only done well briefly in the IPL.
Dirk Nannes
A professional skier who competed at FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cup events until 1999, Dirk Nannes played international T20s for both Australia and the Netherlands.
Nannes is the leading wicket taker in the Twenty20 Big Bash, which was the predecessor of Big Bash League and lasted from 2005-06 to 2010-11. Nicknamed Cyclone for his bowling speed, Nannes was instrumental in Victorian Bushrangers’ title wins in 2007-08 and 2009-10.
He was signed by Delhi Daredevils in 2009. Nannes was so impressive that the Delhi outfit was forced to leave Glenn McGrath on the bench. Nannes finished the 2009 season with 15 wickets helping his team top the league table. He had a less productive season in 2010 but still bowled quite well.
His good showings were rewarded when he fetched USD 650,000 in the 2011 auction. However, he sustained a side strain two matches into the season and was promptly replaced with Chris Gayle by the Royal Challengers Bangalore. With Gayle proving to be RCB’s trump card that season, Nannes failed to regain his berth.
Later in 2013, Chennai Super Kings signed him to bolster their weak pace attack but he proved to be way too expensive and inconsistent. Nannes did not find a buyer in 2014 and the same fate continued in 2015 as the highest wicket taker of 2010 ICC World T20 faded into oblivion.
Ross Taylor
Unlike the others on the list, Ross Taylor has a long and successful test career to show for his talent. The mainstay of the New Zealand batting in the late 2000s and early 2010s, he has guided his team through the transition phase like a champion.
An aggressive top-order batsman, Taylor has snapped up by Royal Challengers Bangalore in the inaugural season of the IPL. He could play just 4 matches that season due to international commitments. However, he scored 149 runs at a jaw-dropping strike rate of 184 in those matches. He had a more sedate but consistent tournament in 2009 when he helped the RCB reach their maiden IPL final. Later that year, he helped Victorian Bushrangers win their fourth T20 Big Bash title playing as one of the two overseas players. He was also the top scorer in the HRV T20 Cup and played a match-winning 30-ball 80 in the final to clinch the title for the Central District Stags.
His form, however, deserted him in 2010 and RCB chose not to retain his services. In the next auction, Rajasthan Royals signed him. Underused for major part of the season, he was transferred to Delhi, where he had a poor season averaging under 20 with only 1 fifty in 12 matches in 2012. The Delhi franchise traded him for local lad Ashish Nehra to Pune Warriors, where his performance – just like his franchise’s – was disappointing.
In red hot form in international cricket, Taylor was signed up by the Delhi Daredevils in 2014 as the franchise looked to re-vamp a side that had finished wooden-spooners. However, neither Taylor nor the Daredevils showed any recovery of form and he was dumped by the franchise again. In the 2015 auction, Taylor faced the embarrassment of going unsold for the first time.