IPL: 10 unsung heroes to have played the tournament

Heroes are everywhere from movies to real life. We all have our heroes. For some people, their hero could be their boss who has struggled a lot to make a million-dollar company whereas, for a small boy, his hero could be his father and for a cricket fan his hero could be a cricketer who is capable of winning it for his team under difficult circumstances. But arguably in cricket heroes are not born; they develop after a hustle of many years, believing in their skills and the passion for the game takes them forward to play for their countries. If we talk about heroes in the cricketing world it would be really wrong to not put Indian players in that list, because Indian cricket has produced numeorous stalwarts of the game who have gone on to shine on the international stage. Today we are going to talk about the 10 unsung heroes of the Indian Premier League that were the real superheroes for their teams and fans during their playing days. 10. Manvinder Bisla

Manvinder Bisla (Photo Source: Twitter)

The right-hand wicketkeeper-batter has represented several states including Goa in the Indian domestic circuit and was a part of several teams in the Indian Premier League whether it came to playing the inaugural season for Deccan Chargers, Kings XI Punjab or for Kolkata Knight Riders where he played some match winning knocks to make his team win. Manvinder Bisla used to represent Haryana too but later he started playing for Goa and was also a part of India Under-19s. Bisla was a batter who was a see-the-ball-hit-the-ball kind of batter, with his world class timing and also had exceptional wicket-keeping skills. One of his innings that everyone remembers is the one that came in the final of IPL 2012 against Chennai Super Kings. Bisla stood like a pillar against the lethal bowling attack of CSK and played a match-winning knock of 89 runs off just 48 balls to help KKR lift their maiden IPL title. 9. Rajat Bhatia

Rajat Bhatia. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Rajat Bhatia was a talented player in the Indian cricketing circles who could have become the next Robin Singh of Indian cricket with his all-round ability to bat and bowl. Bhatia is a former Indian professional cricketer who represented Delhi, Uttarakhand among other states in different domestic tournaments in his cricketing career. The batting all-rounder was a match winner for every team he played for whether it was with the bat or with the ball. He was always right there for the team. Bhatia scored 525 runs in 9 matches of the 2007-08 Ranji Trophy season that helped Delhi to clinch the title for the seventh time. Bhatia was very successful in his first-class career, and took 137 wickets at an average of 27.97, and also scored over 6000 runs at an average of nearly 50. He was a part of the MRF Pace foundation in his young days, and he also led the Uttarakhand cricket team in the Ranji Trophy. In the Inaugural season of the IPL, he was roped in by his home team Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) where he impressed everyone with his cutters and attacking batting style. In the year 2011, he was bagged by Kolkata Knight Riders where he got a chance to play under the captaincy of Gautam Gambhir and became one of the most relaible players for KKR and helped them qualify for the Champions League Twenty20 for the first time. 8. Shahbaz Nadeem

Shahbaz Nadeem. (Photo Source: Instagram)

Shahbaz Nadeem is an India cricketer who has represented India in the Test circuit. The left-arm spinner made his domestic debut in 2004 when he played for Bihar under 14s and later played for the India under-19s team. Currently he is playing for Jharkhand in the domestic arena. In the IPL 2022 season, Nadeem was a part of Lucknow Super Giants. Nadeem got a breakthrough in the year 2012 when he played some outstanding cricket for the Delhi Daredevils franchise and got nominated for the IPL Rising Star of the Year award. Due to his illustrious performance in the Ranji trophy 2015-16 and, 2016-17 season, the left-arm bowler got his maiden call-up for India in the year 2019 to play a Test match against South Africa.

7. Subramaniam Badrinath

Subramaniam Badrinath (Photo Source: Twitter)

If you are a true Chennai Super Kings fan then you must be aware of a guy who used to bat at number 3 for CSK and was one of the crucial players for the franchise alongside some of their greats. Yes, we are talking about Subramaniam Badrinath, a right-handed middle-order batter from Tamil Nadu who even showed glimpses of his brilliance with the bat in international cricket. Badrinath was part of CSK till 2013 and played many crucial knocks that helped Chennai to win the trophy. The right-hand batter got a maiden call-up from the Indian team in the year 2010 and scored 56 in his first Test innings at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur against the Proteas. He was also termed as Mr. Dependable for CSK for his exceptional performance in the year 2011. 6. Robin Uthappa

Robin Uthappa. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Have you ever thought that a batter can hit a bowler operating at 150 km/hr walking down the wicket? Yes, You got it correct! We are talking about Robin Uthappa the India international cricketer who was known for his improvised batting. Uthappa was one of the players who had a dream debut for India and impressed everyone with his performance when he scored 86 as an opener in Indore while batting alongside India legend and skipper in that game Rahul Dravid. His consistently impressive performance helped him to make his way into India's squad for the 2007 ICC World Twenty 20 where he chipped in with crucial performances on South Africa's bouncy pitches and helped India clinch the title. The stage changed with the IPL coming into the picture but the performance remained the same for the walking assassin. Although the first season didn't go well for the batter from MI, he was traded to Royal Challengers Bangalore where he proved to everyone his ability and reliability. The 2014 season was the season where Uthappa played as an opener for the KKR franchise with 660 runs, including five half-centuries. It was this consistency that helped KKR bag the coveted trophy for the second time along with the contributions from other players. 5. Sreenath Aravind

Sreenath Aravind (Photo Source: Twitter)

The left-arm fast bowler played for India and was a crucial player for RCB in IPL 2011 that helped the team to reach the finals against CSK. The 6ft tall guy was one of the leading players for RCB where his responsibility was to break partnerships and he was perfect at doing it in the presence of top players like Zaheer Khan, Dirk Nannes and, Daniel Vettori. In the year 2015, he played a T20I for India against South Africa in Dharamsala and hasn't featured for India since then. He conceded 44 runs in his 3.4 overs and could only bag a single wicket. He was even tasked to bowl the last over and defend ten runs but ran into JP Duminy and the latter helped his team cross the line.

4. Shadab Jakati

Shadab Jakati. (Photo Source: Twitter)

The left-arm spin bowler from Goa is one of the unsung heroes that made CSK a force to be reckoned with from the start of the IPL. He was also a key figure in Super Kings' successful campaign in the year 2010, as he claimed 13 wickets. Jakati's best IPL season was 2010, when he was a key factor in Chennai Super Kings' championship victory. In 11 games that season, he took 13 wickets, including a two-wicket haul in the championship game against Mumbai Indians. Jakati played a total of 59 matches in the IPL, and picked up 47 wickets at an economy rate of 8.02. After retiring from cricket, Jakati has been involved in coaching and is also serving as a mentor for young cricketers in Goa. 3. Paul Valthaty

Paul Valthaty (Photo Source: Twitter)

A guy who used to play with bowlers, isn't it the right way to define the super talented Paul Valthaty who was known for his attacking style of batting? There is no doubt that no one can forget the innings of Valthaty when he scored 120* off just 63 balls against the CSK bowling line-up for Kings XI Punjab in the IPL 2011. Despite his brilliance in the IPL, Valthaty's career did not take off as predicted; as a result, he only participated in a small number of IPL and domestic cricket matches in the years that followed. But because of his performance in that one game, he will always be regarded as a player who had the ability to win games on his own. Valthaty will go down as one of the players who lit the IPL with his individual brilliance and brought plenty of fan following for the cash-rich league. He only represented Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. 2. Manoj Tiwary

Manoj Tiwary. (Photo Source: Twitter)

The young unsung hero who enjoyed his cricketing career more than anyone else. We are talking about a cricketer-turned-politician Manoj Tiwary who played several outstanding innings in the cash-rich league. The right-handed batter represented Bengal in domestic cricket and played for different franchises in the IPL from Delhi Capitals to KKR, and Kings XI Punjab to Rising Pune Supergiants. Tiwary also represented India in One Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals. Tiwary was one of the talented and skillful players that faded away due to injury coupled with the immense competition for spots in the Indian team. He has staggering numbers in the domestic circuit that speak volumes about his potential as a player. 10. Pravin Tambe

Praveen Tambe. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Cricket is not just a sport it’s an emotion for people like Pravin Tambe who just want to play for their country. Yes, this is the story of Pravin Tambe, a 41-year-old guy who got his dream turned into reality after numerous years of hard work. Pravin Tambe made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut at the age of 41 for Rajasthan Royals in the 2013 season. Before his inclusion in the league, Tambe had not even played first-class cricket but was a well-known name in the club cricket circuit. Tambe went on to become the leading wicket-taker in the Champions League T20 later that year. He picked up 12 wickets in the tournament at an average of 6.50. His performances that year earned him his maiden call-up for the Mumbai team for the 2013–14 Ranji Trophy. In the 2014 IPL season, Tambe picked up a brilliant hat-trick against Kolkata Knight Riders, the first of that season and 12th, overall.

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IPL: 10 unsung heroes to have played the tournament

10 unsung heroes to have played the cash-rich league.

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