IPL: 5 Indian players with disappointing international records but enjoyed stellar IPL careers

Not every player who wears the Indian jersey can enjoy a long career. The Indian cricket history is replete with players, who despite possessing oodles of talent and showing a lot of promise, failed to make it big in the international arena. They are generally quickly forgotten. Thanks to the Indian Premier League, such players enjoyed their share of the limelight.

Here is a look at five Indian cricketers who had disappointing international careers but went on to write their names in golden letters in the annals of the IPL history.

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#1 Amit Mishra

Amit Mishra began his international career way back in 2003 but in all these years, he managed only 22 Tests and 36 ODIs. Despite performing decently, he never had a long run in the side due to the presence of great spinners in the form of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh.

In the Indian Premier League though, there was no dearth of opportunities and he hogged the limelight. There were occasions where it seemed Mishra's powers were waning but he often bounced back strongly. Mishra grabbed 146 wickets in 136 matches and it is fair to say that he is undoubtedly one of the greatest bowlers in the history of IPL. Nobody, except Lasith Malinga, has taken a greater number of wickets. Mishra picked up 3 hat-tricks, which is the highest for any bowler in the IPL. He may be 35 but considering the way he bowled for the Delhi Daredevils in this season, his IPL career is by no means over!

#2 Piyush Chawla

Chawla is a vital cog in the Kolkata Knight Riders' bowling line-up

Another leggie. Piyush Chawla first caught the attention of the cricket followers when he bowled Sachin Tendulkar in a domestic game with a googly. Great things were predicted and he was viewed as the successor to Anil Kumble. He entered the international arena at a very young age of 18 but could never cement a place in the squad. He managed only 25 appearances in ODIs and 2 in Tests without much success.

Chawla is sometimes criticised for his propensity to overuse his primary weapon googly but it proved to be mighty effective and bamboozled quite a few batsmen. With 137 wickets in 142 matches, he stands third in the list of the all-time highest wicket-takers in the IPL. His economy rate of 7.73 is nothing to fret about.

#3 Robin Uthappa

Robin Uthappa's stroke-play is easy on the eye

There was a time when Robin Uthappa was so promising that he could displace even Virender Sehwag from the opening slot. But, Uthappa could not make the most of the opportunities he received and ended up with a paltry average of 25 in 46 ODIs.

Except for Uthappa, all other batsmen in the list of top 10 run scorers enjoyed distinguished international careers. When on song, Uthappa unfurls exquisite drives and pulls. He racked up more than 4000 runs in 163 matches at an average of 29 and a strike rate of 132. He stands at no.5 among the league's highest run scorers. With consistent contributions, he has been the mainstay of the top order of the Kolkata Knight Riders.

He is only 32 but does not seem to figure in the scheme of things of the Indian Cricket and hence, he might have already played his last match for India.

#4 Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik has a terrific season so far

In List A cricket, Dinesh Karthik's average and strike rate are 39 and 91 respectively. Brilliant! But, in ODI cricket, the average drops by a healthy 10 points to 29 and the strike rate plummets to an unimpressive 72. Karthik could not translate his domestic heroics into international success. He made his debut before Mahendra Singh Dhoni but failed to cement his place in the team. With Dhoni quickly becoming the toast of the nation, things became very difficult for him (and for all other keepers) but he did get opportunities as a specialist batsman. But, he failed again.

In the IPL, Karthik represented many teams and enjoyed good success. So far, he notched up 3341 runs in 166 matches at an average of 26 and a strike rate of 128. Commendable stats! Both as the captain and a batsman, he has been outstanding for the Knight Riders in this season.

Unlike Uthappa, Karthik's international career may not be over and he is a strong contender for a middle-order slot. In the final of the Nidahas trophy this year, Karthik slammed a last-ball six against Bangladesh and helped India clinch the trophy. Good things seem to be in the offing.

#5 Ashish Nehra

Ashish Nehra had a very fine IPL career

Ashish Nehra will be remembered for delivering the greatest performance by an Indian pacer in ODI cricket. In the 2003 World Cup, he ripped the heart out of England's batting line-up with surreal figures of 6/23. When on song, Nehra bowled at lively pace and possessed a very potent incoming delivery that posed serious problems to the right-handers.

A combination of poor form and frequent injuries dented his international career. With the emergence of the new generation of the Indian pacers, Nehra was on the verge of fading away into the oblivion. But, he bounced back into the national team with spectacular performances in the IPL and did a decent job in the 2011 World Cup. In the IPL, he took a whopping 106 scalps in just 88 matches while giving away 7.84 runs per over. For Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings, Nehra was the 'go-to-bowler.'

Asish Nehra's ODI record of 157 wickets in 120 matches makes for a decent reading at least for an Indian pacer but falls well below what he initially promised to achieve.