Top 5 IPL match winners who could not make it to the national team

Indian Premier League has been a platform for budding cricketers to showcase their skills against some of the finest players in world cricket. The lucrative T20 tournament has also witnessed many players from the domestic circuit fast-tracked into the international circuit. 

Be it India’s spearhead Jasprit Bumrah or ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya, or ICC Men's T20I Player of the Year 2022, Suryakumar Yadav, IPL has been a pathway for cricketers to break into the national team. However, there have been certain players who, despite proving their mettle in the IPL arena, never got a chance to don the national jersey.

Here are the top five IPL match winners who could not make it to the national team

5. Paul Valthaty

Paul Valthaty was one of the promising cricketers in the Mumbai cricketing circles. He took the 2011 season of the Indian Premier League by storm with his breathtaking performances. The ace batter featured in 14 matches for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) and notched up 463 runs at a strike rate of 136.98.

Valthaty took the attack to the opposition right from the get-go and provided his side with brisk starts on a consistent basis. He struck a blistering century against a star-studded Chennai Super Kings team to take Punjab across the line. 

Besides his batting might, the Mumbai born was quite handy with the ball and bagged seven wickets for KXIP at an economy of 7.82, including a sensational four-wicket haul against Deccan Charges.

Valthaty played a fearless brand of cricket and was a valuable addition to any side. However, he was not able to break into the Indian team. Moreover, the former Mumbai cricketer failed to carry on the good work in the IPL in the seasons to come and thus, was able to make his case for a national call-up stronger.