Since its inception in 2008, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has continued to surprise with each passing year and today we look at the forgotten heroes of IPL.
Cricketers from all over the world compete for a chance to be a part of the lucrative league, knowing full well that a strong showing at the main event might change their lives.
Many, though, have faded into obscurity while displaying their abilities and flourishing on the field. The majority of us have no recollection of them. Nobody knows what those celebrities are up to or in what state they are in right now.
Let’s take a lot at some of the forgotten heroes of IPL :
Forgotten Heroes of IPL : Mohit Sharma
The new IPL club, Gujarat Titans, has signed Mohit Sharma, one of the most productive seamers who won the Purple Cap in 2014, as a net bowler this season alongside left-arm seamer Barinder Sran.
Sharma, who played for the Chennai Super Kings, was the greatest wicket-taker in 2014, with 23 wickets at an average of 19.65 in 16 games. Sharma (33), on the other hand, received no takers at the IPL 2022 super auctions.
From 2013 to 2015, the Haryana cricketer was with CSK before switching to Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) from 2016 to 2018. In 2019, he returned to CSK. In 2020, he also played for the Delhi Capitals. Sharma has taken 92 wickets in 86 IPL games.
Sharma was a member of the Indian team that advanced to the 2014 ICC World T20 final in Bangladesh and the semifinal of the 2015 ODI World Cup, which was co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
Sharma presently works as a net bowler for the Gujarat Titans.
Forgotten Heroes of IPL : Manpreet Gony
With his performance for CSK in the inaugural IPL season in 2008, the Punjab pacer wowed everyone. On the strength of some outstanding performances in 2008, Gony forced his way into the national squad, but he only got to play two games — against Hong Kong and Bangladesh. He went on to play for the Deccan Chargers, Kings XI Punjab, and Mumbai Indians, but he was unable to recreate his miraculous performance for CSK in 2008, and hence fell out of contention.
Forgotten Heroes of IPL : Tirumalasetti Suman
T Suman, or just Suman, was a right-handed batsman from Hyderabad who had been attracting attention since his Under-19 days with his aggressive approach to the game. In the domestic circuit, he has recently been a key member of the Hyderabad T20 side.
Tirumalasetti Suman, a right-handed batsman from Hyderabad, was a run machine for the Deccan Chargers at the time. In the 2009 version, he scored 237 runs, while in the 2010 edition, he scored 307 runs for the Adam Gilchrist-led squad. However, the next season with the Mumbai Indians, he only scored 65 runs in seven innings, and his career took a turn for the worse. After that, he was unable to resurrect his magic and vanished from the IPL and the cricketing scene.
Forgotten Heroes of IPL : Kamran Khan
The left-arm seamer from a small hamlet in Uttar Pradesh was plucked out of nowhere by Rajasthan Royals for the 2009 season. He was once considered a contender for the Indian cricket team. The Royals’ wonder child astonished everyone, including Shane Warne, with his speed. Even with his modestly built frame, his ability to bowl at 140 kmph amused everyone.
Before joining the Pune Warriors in 2011, he played a few games for the Royals. The pacer from Mau, Uttar Pradesh, became an overnight star for his cricketing abilities, but it didn’t take long for that to fade away.
Apart from these players, many others have failed to live up to the hype, including Mumbai Indians batter Paul Valthaty, West Bengal wicketkeeper-batter Shreevats Goswami, Mumbai spinner Iqbal Abdulla, who was named the emerging player of the year in 2011 with Kolkata Knight Riders, Goa left arm-spinner Shadab Jakati, and Haryana batter Manvinder Bisla.
