4 players you didn't know played in the IPL

The Indian Premier League has been the training ground and a platform for breaking into the national team for a plethora of players. Various current Indian cricketers like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja made headlines with their performances in the IPL.

On the other hand, there have been some players who despite having established international careers had forgettable IPL seasons. Not playing to their potential, fans and the management were quick to disregard their status and move on to other young talents.

Here are four international players you might have forgotten were once part of an IPL franchise:

Honourable Mentions

Hemang Badani: He was a part of the Chennai Super Kings for the 2010 Indian Premier League but was not picked in any of the matches.

Damien Martyn: One of the most underrated batsmen of his time, Damien Martyn is known for his technique and sophistication. His partnership with Ricky Ponting at the 2003 final of the ICC World Cup still haunts countless Indian fans.

After retiring from international cricket in 2006, Martyn continued playing in domestic leagues, and his experience fetched him an IPL contract by Rajasthan Royals in 2010. Playing only one match, the Aussie scored 19 off 24 balls before getting dismissed to Praveen Kumar, thus ending his IPL stint.

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#4 Andre Nel (Mumbai Indians)

One of the most fearsome bowlers of his generation, Andre Nel's career has been full of ups and downs. Carrying a highly aggressive reputation, Nel constantly troubled batsmen (especially Brian Lara) with his pace and fiery attitude.

Mumbai Indians picked up Nel in the 2008 season as a replacement to Dwayne Bravo. Playing just one match for the franchise, he gave away 31 runs from his four overs taking one wicket in a pretty average performance.

Though his performance wasn't bad for a T20 match, he did not participate in the rest of the tournament, and thus, wasn't considered for the subsequent seasons as well.

#3 Aakash Chopra (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra came into the limelight at the time India was desperately looking for good openers. His temperament and technique of play fitted well international, and his career started well, scoring two half-centuries against New Zealand during 2003/04 in the second Test in Mohali. But due to subsequent failures, he lost his position to Gautam Gambhir and Wasim Jaffer.

Kolkata Knight Riders picked up Chopra in the inaugural season of the IPL where he played seven matches but could only manage to score 53 runs at a strike rate of 74.65. Retained by the team next year, he was sent back to India as he was deemed unfit for T20 matches.

Today, Aakash Chopra can be seen commentating in various international and IPL matches. With Hindi commentary getting popular day by day, he remains the numero uno choice.

#2 Sanjay Bangar (Deccan Chargers, Kolkata Knight Riders)

Sanjay Bangar

The current batting coach of the Indian Cricket Team, Sanjay Bangar, was an all-rounder who broke into the national side in 2001 as an opening batsman and a solid medium pacer. Before falling out of the team in 2004, Bangar was the opening partner of Virender Sehwag for a short while.

He represented Deccan Chargers in the first IPL season and Kolkata Knight Riders in 2009. For the Chargers, he played 12 matches but failed to create a lasting impact. Bangar hung up his boots in 2013 and became the coach of Kings XI Punjab later that year.

Sanjay Bangar is the batting coach of Indian cricket team since August 2014.

#1 Misbah Ul Haq (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Misbah Ul-Haq

If consistency and longevity were any standards, Misbah Ul-Haq would rank amongst the very best. His experience and ability to handle pressure fetched him a contract with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the inaugural season of IPL in 2008. Playing eight matches and scoring only 117 runs in the tournament, Misbah's ability to improvise did not come too handy for the side.

After political tensions between India and Pakistan, Misbah along with all his compatriots was snubbed in the next edition of the IPL.