5 IPL talents who got India call-up due to a successful season

Nurturing young Indian talents by giving them exposure to some pressure-cooker situations and big crowds has been the main motive of IPL since its inception. The tournament has never disappointed in terms of the entertainment quotient and perhaps every year, we have seen a young cricketer make his mark in the league.

All those years ago, a 20-year-old Rohit Sharma was a huge part of the Deccan Chargers side that lifted the trophy in 2009. Now, he is one of the best limited-overs cricketers in the country and also led Mumbai Indians to three triumphs in 2013, 2015 and 2017. The tournament has changed the fate of so many cricketers over the period.

Although the cash-rich league helped Rohit to escalate his image, he wasn’t exactly an IPL product. There are many more youngsters who got a call-up for the national side solely because of their incredible performances in this tournament.

Here’s a list of five names who owe it big time to the richest T20 league in the world:

1. Axar Patel

The 2014 season was a game changer for Kings XI Punjab, who banked on the likes of Glenn Maxwell, David Miller, George Bailey and Axar Patel to reach the finals. But for Indian cricket, the emergence of a young all-rounder in Axar was a great sign and the Gujarat cricketer eventually made his International debut that year.

He was also roped into the World Cup squad in 2015, a rare achievement for a cricketer who just made his debut. With time, he lost his place in the side due to some inconsistent renditions, but when he emerged on the scene, a lot was expected from him. He still has a chance of re-gaining his spot given he can perform well in the Ranji Trophy 2018-19 edition.