10 Unexpected signings in IPL history

The Indian Premier League has been the most lucrative league since its introduction in 2008. Big names from all over the world joined franchises and made it a big hit. Apart from the well-known players, there have been many unknown faces who left a mark. IPL truly has lived up to its expectations. Over the years, there have been many blunders. The price tag got the better of many players. However, many talented players went unsold. This makes this tournament one of its kind. Apart from that, there have been many instances of unexpected signings in the history of the IPL. These players went on to become the “impact” players. Adding on, their history with other players made the signings more exciting. Here are – 10 unexpected signings in the history of IPL 10. Brendon McCullum, CSK Brendon McCullum. (Photo Source: Twitter) Brendon McCullum will go down as one of the most influential cricketers in New Zealand’s cricketing history. He led the side to their first-ever final appearance in a World Cup. Although they lost in the final, McCullum became the biggest name in the Kiwi camp. McCullum’s career took a huge leap after he scored 158 in the first game of the IPL. He thrashed every bowler from the RCB camp out of the park. Later on, he joined Kochi Tuskers in the IPL. But, the most impactful part of his IPL career came when he joined CSK. McCullum opened for CSK along with Smith. Although CSK already had plenty of options, they chose McCullum. This turned out to be a masterstroke as he was successful for CSK. 9. Gautam Gambhir, KKR Gautam Gambhir. (Photo Source: Twitter) Gautam Gambhir joined KKR in 2011. After he departed from Delhi Daredevils, his signing for KKR turned out to be a masterstroke. Gambhir scored 378 runs in the 2011 season. Although KKR failed to lift the trophy, the management had found their captain. In the next season, Gambhir was in top form. He scored 590 runs in 17 games. A strike rate of 143.55 adds the cherry on the cake for his stats. Gambhir was a ruthless captain. His aggressive field settings caught the attention of everyone. In the final, KKR defeated CSK and lifted their first title. If this was not enough, they lifted the trophy again in 2014. Gambhir also made tactical changes in the team. Well, this unexpected signing became a masterstroke for the management. 8. Swapnil Asnodkar, RR Swapnil Asnodkar. (Photo Source: Twitter) Few people might remember Swapnil. The Goa batsman was drafted into the RR side that went on to lift the IPL trophy in 2008. But, over time, the number of chances Swapnil got reduced significantly. In the RR squad, Swapnil played as a top-order batsman. He scored 311 runs in 9 innings for his team. Adding on, he had a decent strike rate of 133.47. There is no doubt that he was one of the most impactful performers in the squad. Swapnil was an unexpected signing for RR. This is mainly because RR lacked the big hitters, hence, everyone expected the management to look for another big hitter apart from Yusuf Pathan. But, unfortunately, Swapnil last played an IPL game in 2011. 7. Paul Valthaty, KXIP Paul Valthaty KXIP. (Photo Source: Twitter) The Punjab-based franchise might not have won the IPL in their history, but they are the most entertaining team. Even after trying every possible combination, they fall short. But, in 2011, the world witnessed a special performance from a youngster named Paul Valthaty. He was a surprise signing, mainly because of the presence of many match-winners in their squad, Punjab signed Paul in their squad. Well, he took CSK bowlers to the cleaners in a match. From just 63 balls, Paul scored 120 runs. That innings proved to be the match-winning performance for Punjab. But, unfortunately, he got just 6 matches in the next season. For a rising star, this was a bad sign. Unfortunately, since 2013, Paul has not played the IPL for any franchise. Who knows, if he was given proper chances, he could have been the next star batsman for India. 6. Glenn Maxwell, KXIP Glenn Maxwell. (Photo Source: Twitter) Glenn Maxwell was a part of the MI squad during his debut season in the IPL. Even though he was an unknown face, there were signs of an explosive player in him. For the Mumbai Indians, he played just 5 games. But, things took a huge turn after he joined KXIP, now known as the Punjab Kings. Maxwell scored 552 runs in 16 innings for the team. He was smashing the ball with a strike rate of 187.75. Apart from that, he scored four half-centuries in that season. The best part about Maxwell’s signing was that he joined a team that was struggling badly. In that season, Punjab reached the finals. Although they lost, a star player was recognized all over the world. Maxwell’s signing with Punjab is one of the most iconic moments in the history of the IPL. 5. Ambati Rayudu, CSK Ambati Rayudu. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Ambati Rayudu was one of the most important members of the MI squad. He could take the game away from the opposition because of his brisk innings. Adding on, he could anchor the innings as well. However, during the 2018 mega auctions, it was a huge surprise that MI had decided not to retain Rayudu. There was some buzz about the management, it was speculated that they might sign him back. But, then came CSK. CSK signed Rayudu in the 2018 auction. During that season, he scored 602 runs at a strike rate of 149.75. He was one of the most prolific batsmen in the season. Adding on, his consistency was one of the reasons CSK lifted the trophy in 2018. 4. Ricky Ponting, MI Ricky Ponting. (Photo by Qamar Sibtain/The India Today Group via Getty Images) Ricky Ponting has always been defined by his captaincy skills. He was the captain of the most dominant team in the modern era. Under his captaincy, Australia won the 2003 World Cup and 2007 World Cup. But, his IPL performance was mediocre. He was a part of KKR in the first season. In that year, he scored just 39 runs in four games. Later on, in 2013, he joined Mumbai Indians. But still, after 5 years, he was not an impactful batsman in the IPL. Given the fact that he was performing poorly and MI was undergoing a transition, his association with Mumbai was unexpected. In the middle of the tournament, he gave up the captaincy role to Rohit Sharma. But, fortunately for MI, they went on to lift the trophy. 3. Harshal Patel, RCB Harshal Patel. (Photo Source: Twitter) Harshal Patel has been in the IPL circuit since 2012. He spent the majority of the early part of his career with RCB. Later on, he was picked up by the Delhi Capitals. But, Patel made it to the headlines after his impressive performances in the first half of the IPL. Patel has been sensational in the 2021 season of the IPL. In seven games, he has picked 17 wickets. Adding on, he became the first bowler to pick a five-wicket haul against Mumbai. During the auction season, he was traded to the RCB squad. It was a bit unexpected, mainly because of the presence of a decent RCB bowling lineup. But, it has paid off very well for Kohli and the management. 2. Andrew Symonds, MI Andrew Symonds. (Photo by SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP via Getty Images) Andrew Symonds was a part of the dominant Australian side that went on to win two consecutive World Cups. He was terrific all around and a power hitter. Apart from his clean ball-striking abilities, he could anchor the innings when needed. Hence, Symonds was a complete cricketer. In the early part of his career, he was a part of the Deccan Chargers squad. Later on, he joined the Mumbai Indians. This created a buzz because of his history with Harbhajan Singh, who was a part of Mumbai Indians too. This was an unexpected signing also because of the unnecessary addition to the MI squad. They had star players but still, they decided to sign Symonds. In the 2011 edition, he failed as he scored 135 runs in 11 matches. Apart from that, he picked only a single wicket. 1. Chris Gayle, RCB Chris Gayle. (Photo Source: Twitter) Chris Gayle is the greatest batsman in the history of the shortest format. No batsman can terrify bowlers even after crossing the age bar of 40. He was a part of the KKR squad that failed horribly during the first few seasons. But, during the 2011 auctions, he went unsold. It was a big shocker as Gayle was a big name in the circuit. However, RCB management decided to sign him up. In 2011, Gayle smashed 608 runs at a strike rate of 183.13. Later on, he became a part of the RCB core group as he scored a plethora of runs with a huge strike rate. In 2013, he smashed 175 runs in an inning against Pune Warriors. Well, his IPL performances made him a modern-day legend.

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