IPL: 10 stars who faded away

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has given the young budding cricketers a huge platform and Indian cricket has benefitted immensely from it. The cash-rich league gives the youngsters a desired platform to showcase their gameplay and make a name for themselves. The IPL has given so many talented cricketers to India.

Throughout the league’s history, there have been many instances when young and lesser-known cricketers performed better than even the established international cricketers. The IPL is undoubtedly a blessing for aspiring cricketers. Players doing well in domestic cricket get to play at a level where they compete with the top cricketers of the world.

At the same time, many players whom we think of being the next sensation remain just a one-season wonder. IPL has seen so many such cricketers who get away despite being very promising. These players get replaced by new and fresh faces after being very successful initially.

We have shortlisted 10 such cricketers who were IPL stars at some stage but are not often seen now.

1. Paul Valthaty

Paul Valthaty amazed cricket fans after showing his heroics in the Indian Premier League. Valthaty made his IPL debut in the second season of the league for Rajasthan Royals. He did not get a chance in his initial IPL days but when he played for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) he proved to be a match-winner for them.

We all remember what he did to CSK bowlers in the 2011 season. The batter smashed the CSK bowlers all over the park and scored a magnificent 120 off 63 balls. It was a match-winning knock and was also the highest individual score of that season. However, his career was riddled with injuries.

His inconsistency in his performances along with his fitness issues cost him his career. After playing several good innings for Punjab, Paul was faded away due to his constant failures. He did not get an IPL contract after the 2013 season. He suffered an eye injury that made him take voluntary retirement from the game. Currently, he works for Air India where he was hired through the sports quota.

2. Manvinder Singh Bisla

Remember the hero of the 2012 IPL final for the Kolkata Knight Riders? Yes, we are talking about Manvinder Singh Bisla. Bisla was KKR’s designated wicketkeeper-batter in the final despite the availability of Brendon McCullum. He had a good season in 2012 and looked like someone who can have a long cricketing career.

In the 2012 IPL final, Manvinder made a fabulous 48-ball 89 against CSK, which stunned everyone. Most cricket fans, as well as the experts, thought that he will surely capitalize on his caliber, but unfortunately it did not happen. He lacked consistency and he could not play as smoothly as he did in the 2012 final.

Due to his inability to score consistently, he did not get an IPL contract after 2015. He played 39 IPL games in his career in which he scored 798 runs which included four fifties. He last played a recognized official game way back in 2017. He is now a commentator.

3. Rusty Theron

The death-over specialist from South Africa, Rusty Theron was a skillful South African cricketer. Due to his brilliance in the shortest format, he was given the tag of a T20 specialist. He used to be a master of bowling the slower balls and he believed in the idea of keeping the ball straight and full.

An interesting fact about him is that his birth name was Juan Theron but he was named Rusty because of the rustic brown color of his hair. He made his IPL debut for Kings XI Punjab in 2010 against Chennai Super Kings. He played a total of 10 games in his IPL career and was successful in picking nine wickets.

After playing one season with Punjab, Theron moved to Deccan Chargers in 2011 where he played the 2012 season, too. He did not get IPL contracts in 2013 and 2014. He played his last IPL game in 2015 for the Rajasthan Royals. He moved to the USA to further his cricketing career for his adopted nation.

4. Manpreet Gony

Manpreet Gony was MS Dhoni’s trump card in the first IPL season wherein he played for the Chennai Super Kings. Gony was a right-arm pacer who was known for having extra pace. Gony did a fine job for CSK in the initial few seasons of the IPL. He was the leading wicket-taker for CSK in the first season.

Manpreet picked 17 wickets in 16 games in IPL 2008. He even represented the Indian cricket team after having a great IPL. He was named in the Asia Cup squad in 2008 where he played two games and never got a chance to play ever again. CSK released Gony after his performances were not up to the mark.

He last had an IPL appearance in 2017 for the Gujarat Lions. In 2013, Manpreet Gony was accused by his mother of threatening to kill her over a dispute arising due to family property. His downfall in his cricketing career started after that mishap. In 2019, he decided to retire from international cricket and he opted to play T20 leagues as a freelance cricketer.

5. Alfonso Thomas

Alfonso Thomas was a reliable all-rounder from South Africa. Thomas played T20 cricket much more than any other cricketing format. Thomas played a total of 15 IPL games in 2011 and 2012 for Pune Warriors India. He was a wicket-taker and a dependable bowler to bank on. Alongside his bowling, he was a good striker of the cricket ball too.

The South African took 14 wickets in the 15 IPL games that he played at a bowling average of 29.0. He played his last IPL game in 2012 and did not get an IPL contract after that. Alfonso had some really good outings for the now-defunct Pune Warriors India. He played just one T20I for South Africa.

He was a T20 specialist. In a total of 225 T20s that he played, he had 263 wickets to his name at a bowling average of 21.81. Alfonso became a coach in 2018 when he was appointed as the bowling coach for the West Indies. He then coached the English county cricket team Hampshire and is currently linked with several cricket teams as a mentor.

6. Shivil Koushik

A unique action with wicket-taking abilities. You will remember Shivil Koushik if you have followed the IPL keenly. Despite not playing any domestic cricket, Shivil was signed by the Gujarat Lions at the 2016 IPL auction. Shivil had an impressive season for Hubli Tigers in the Karnataka Premier League.

He was eye-catching due to his peculiar bowling action. He was a left-arm chinaman but not a regular one. His bowling action resembled the action of Paul Adams a bit. He made his IPL debut against the Rising Pune Supergiants in 2016 for Gujarat Lions. He bowled a good spell against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) where he took three wickets for just 20 runs.

Most of us remember him for getting hit by Virat Kohli for 30 runs in the 19th over. Virat smashed him for four sixes and a four. He played two seasons for GL and when the franchise got diluted in 2017, he did not get a contract after that. He currently plays some minor cricket tournaments in Karnataka.

7. Parvinder Awana

Parvinder Awana was a handy fast bowler from Delhi. Parvinder played 33 IPL games for Kings XI Punjab between 2012 to 2015. He even made his India debut in the T20 format after having a good IPL season in 2012. He was impressive in the domestic tournaments and that impressed the Kings XI Punjab management to go for him at the auction in 2012.

Awana picked 28 wickets in just seven matches in the 2007-08 Ranji Trophy season playing for Delhi. He played two T20Is for India in 2012 and was not selected after those two games. He picked 39 IPL wickets in 33 games at a bowling average of 26.88. He had a good rhythmic bowling action.

Parvinder Awana retired from all forms of the game in July 2018. He was appointed as the bowling coach of Delhi in 2008. He even served as a selector for Delhi on the Junior Selection Committee. He has coached many cricketers after his retirement. Currently, he is pursuing his coaching career.

8. Kamran Khan

Rated very highly by the Australian great Shane Warne, Kamran Khan was one of the smartest pacers you will ever see. Shane Warne often called him the ‘Wild Thing’. He could consistently break the 140 km/h mark quite effortlessly. His strongest weapon was reverse swing which used to trouble the batters a lot.

He did a great job for the Rajasthan Royals in 2009. He came from a very humble background and he worked really hard to play the game of cricket. He was scouted by the then Director of Coaching for Rajasthan Royals, Darren Berry. The Jaipur-based franchise offered him an IPL contract for the second edition of the tournament.

He played a total of nine IPL games and picked nine wickets with a bowling average of 24.89. Shane Warne had a lot of faith in him. He even allowed him to bowl a super over for his team against KKR and he helped the Royals win the game. He was reported for suspect bowling action which eventually made him fade away. He plays local cricket tournaments now.

9. Swapnil Asnodkar

A flamboyant opening batter from Goa who looked brilliant in the first season of the IPL, Swapnil Asnodkar used to open the innings with Graeme Smith in 2008 for the Rajasthan Royals. He had some amazing partnerships with the South African southpaw. They used to dominate the bowling attacks.

He, however, was never a consistent performer. His form always was hot and cold. He played two seasons for Rajasthan Royals and then went unsold in the 2010 IPL auction. He never got picked in any of the IPL auctions again. He played 20 games in the IPL and scored 423 runs at an acceptable average of 21.15 with a strike rate of 124.78.

He was one of the shortest batters you will ever see. His opening partnerships with Graeme Smith were a big hit in 2008. The duo formed a strong pair. By the end of the 2008 season, Asnodkar and Smith scored 418 runs together at an average of 59.71. Swapnil also bowled part-time off-spin. He was named the coach of the Goa Under-23 team in 2019.

10. Rahul Sharma

Rahul Sharma was a very impactful leg-spinner who even represented the Indian Cricket Team in four ODIs and two T20Is. He made his IPL debut in 2010 playing for the Deccan Chargers against Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). His amazing performances in 2011 for Pune Warriors India impressed the selectors to pick him to play for India.

Rahul played a total of 44 IPL matches in which he had 40 dismissals to his name at a bowling average of 27.15. He represented Deccan Chargers, Pune Warriors India, Delhi Daredevils, and Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. His googlies were very different from the ones that a regular leg-spinner bowls, which made him deceptive.

Rahul suffered from Bell’s Palsy, a form of facial paralysis a few days before the 2010 IPL season. He had some controversies too in his career. He was allegedly caught consuming drugs with Wayne Parnell at a rave party. He was not able to capitalize on his initial performances. Currently, he plays regularly in inter-district level cricket.