Four world-class players who have won the World Cup but not an IPL

Every cricketer dreams of winning the World Cup at least once in his career. There is no bigger achievement for a player than winning the world cup. While individuals may excel in their careers, to win a major tournament, it is the team which should perform. Take the case of Sachin Tendulkar, one of the greatest batsman of our times. He owned almost all the major records as a batsman, but he wasn’t satisfied until he won the World Cup. The master blaster had to wait for about 22 years before he could finally lay his hands on the trophy.

At the club level, Indian Premier League is the richest and most famous T20 leagues in the world. It is true that money acts as a motivation and most of the players play this tournament because of the huge paychecks. However, great players are just not motivated by money alone, it is winning the trophy that matters.

In this article, we look at players who have been successful for their national teams but have fallen short in IPL:

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4) Mitchell Starc

Starc helped RCB reach the finals in 2016

Since making his debut in IPL by playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2014, Mitchell Starc has not featured regularly in the T20 League. Last year, he skipped IPL to focus on international cricket while in 2016 and this year, injuries have kept him out.

In spite of his limited presence in the IPL, he has made an impact in the two seasons that he played. Many Royal Challenger Bangalore fans would remember his performance in 2015 as he was one of the key players who helped the team reach the playoffs in that edition. He had picked up 20 wickets at an economy rate of 6.76.

The Australian speedster was one of the star players who helped the national team win the World Cup. He had picked up 22 wickets and had emerged as the highest wicket-taker in the World Cup. Unfortunately, he has not been able to win the IPL and is one of the few players who has won the World Cup but not an IPL.

4) Aaron Finch

Aaron Finch was a flop during this year's IPL

The burly Australian opener is known for his explosive batting and helping his team to get off to flying starts. He will forever be remembered for his knock against England in the 2015 World Cup opener. He took the sails of England's bowling unit and plundered 128 ball-135 to single-handedly help Australia win the match. His partnership at the top with Warner was one of the reasons why the Aussies did well during the World Cup.

In IPL, Aaron Finch holds the record of playing for most teams. Surprisingly, he has not tasted success even after playing for nine years in the IPL. Though his performance in this edition was poor, he has had a fairly decent career in IPL and has scored 1333 runs at an average of 26.33. He would be hoping to turn his fortunes(as well as Punjab's)around and will hope to win the title next year.

2) Steven Smith

The former Australian captain is yet to win an IPL trophy

Steven Smith's rise in world cricket has been phenomenal. After starting out as a leg-spinner, Smith developed his batting skills and is currently one of the best batsmen in the world. He won the World Cup with Australia in 2015. During the World Cup, his batting was impressive as he had scored 402 runs at an average of 65. He was one of the key players for Australia who performed consistently and helped Australia win their 5th World Cup.

The Australian skipper has not yet been able to have an IPL trophy in his cabinet. Last year, after being appointed as skipper of Rising Pune Supergiants, Smith narrowly missed on winning the title as his team suffered a one-run loss in the finals. He will hope to change that record when he plays for Rajasthan Royals during the next year.

1) Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is yet to win an IPL

Virat Kohli was just 21 years old when he won the World Cup in 2011. Prior to that, he was the captain of the Under 19 team which won the World Cup in 2007. At the club level, he has had to face disappointment as he has not won a single IPL trophy in the 11 years that he has been with the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

In IPL, the stylish right-hander batsman has amassed 4948 runs in 16 matches and is one of the highest run-getters in IPL. He has also led the "Red Army" to two finals. Unfortunately, both times they have faltered at the final hurdle.

It seems surprising that the world's best batsman has not been able to win the IPL in spite of having star-studded players in the form of Chris Gayle, Shane Watson, AB De Villiers, etc. over the years. Though he has a lot of years left to play cricket, he will be eager to get his hands on the IPL trophy during the next season.