Five Indian players who lifted the IPL trophy without playing a single game

For the last 15 years, IPL has been the most sought-after franchise competition in the cricketing world. Some of the biggest stars of the game ply their trade every year in the prestigious competition with hopes of lifting the coveted IPL trophy.

Winning the IPL trophy does not come easy as it requires hard work and extensive planning throughout the tournament, and even after that, you need a bit of luck to go your way as well. While Renowned players like Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah have won multiple titles, some big names like Virat Kohli and Ab de Villiers have missed out even after multiple finals.

But some players have been really blessed, as they managed to win the IPL trophy without even being in the playing XI for the entirety of the campaign. We take a look at the-

five Indian players who won the IPL without making a single appearance

1. Gurkeerat Singh Mann (Gujarat Titans)- 2022

Gurkeerat Singh Mann’s name is synonymous with domestic cricket where he represents Punjab. He was picked up by Kings XI Punjab (Punjab Kings now) in 2012 and impressed with a cameo of 29 off 12 balls to help the side to a thrilling victory. A lower-order batter who can bowl some decent off-spin as well, Mann is a live wire in the field, and his catch to send Ross Taylor back to the pavilion in 2013 was named the catch of the tournament in that year’s IPL.

The all-rounder played for the Punjab franchise till 2017. The following year he was picked up by Delhi in the IPL auction. After a disappointing outing with the capital side, the right-hander was bagged by RCB in 2019. Although he played some quickfire knocks for RCB, he found himself warming the bench most of the time. Last year, he was brought in by KKR to replace the injured Rinku Singh but did not make any appearance for the two-time champions.

Gujarat Titans gambled on the 31-year-old in this year’s auction, but they didn’t require the services of the all-rounder in IPL 2022 and went on the win the trophy in their debut season. Gurkeerat Mann would’ve liked to play for the side, but he won’t be complaining after the final.