5 cricketers you never knew were a part of the IPL

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has completed 12 seasons of its existence, each one more exciting than the other. The development graph is moving upwards and onwards, with the tournament getting bigger and better every year. With the auction set to be hosted in less than two months for the next year, the fans will soon get into the vibe which will remain till the end of the tournament.

The IPL has given a great opportunity for so many youngsters to rub shoulders with some of the best in the business. While it can turn out to be very fruitful for some, it might not be so for some others. The same applies to some overseas cricketers as well, who did spend some time in the IPL but failed to make their presence felt.

Here are five cricketers who were a part of the IPL, but their presence was never acknowledged by the masses

1. Tatenda Taibu (KKR)

One of Zimbabwe’s most prolific names, Tatenda Taibu retired from the game at a very young age, but he did leave his mark. Debuting for the national side at just 18, Taibu made fast progress and was rated as one of the best keeper-batsmen during his prime days. He also held the record for being the youngest Test captain for 15 years, before Rashid Khan broke it this September.

Taibu was picked up by the Kolkata Knight Riders, which already had some superstar players like Brendon McCullum, Ricky Ponting, Sourav Ganguly and Shoaib Akhtar. He got to play just 3 matches for the side and ended up scoring just 15 runs. That was his first and last association with the tournament.

Taibu retired from international cricket in 2012 to concentrate on his work in the church. He later did make a comeback after six years and played in the Premier League tournament in Sri Lanka, but was not in contention to get back in the international side.