IPL: 10 cricketers who were backed by franchises and later turned superstars

8. Shaun Marsh

In 2008, Shaun Marsh wreaked havoc on the field with his incredible batting skills. Representing Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the maiden edition of the tournament, he strengthened his team with his phenomenal batting shows. Racking up 616 runs with five fifties and a century in 11 matches, he became the first recipient of Orange Cap.

His success in the league made him famous in the cricketing world and the left-handed batter got a chance to make his T20 International debut for Australia during his team’s tour of the West Indies in 2008. After the marvellous batting show in the IPL 2008, he couldn’t participate in the next edition of the league. In 2011, Punjab brought him back to their team through the mega auction, and in return, he again outclassed bowlers with his power-hitting ability.

This time, he smashed 504 runs with four half-centuries in 14 matches at a superb strike rate of 146.51. Talking about his international career, the West Australia-born cricketer couldn’t make it big in the international circuit as he could gather 255 runs in 15 matches at a dismal strike rate of 102.82. However, his blockbuster IPL performances still reside in the minds of a lot of cricket supporters.