5 foreign cricketers who built their reputation in the IPL

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been a huge boon for the younger player not only the domestic players but also for the foreign players as well. The IPL gives them the chance to share the dressing room with international stalwarts and get the opportunity to make a strong impression to catch the eye of the national selectors.From the inaugural season of IPL back in 2008, the most talked about T20 league in the world has come long way and in the way it successfully launched many players on the big platform. The idea behind the whole fast, entertaining league was to give the big platform to young players.Players like Yusuf Pathan, Manish Pandey, Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya and even veteran Ashish Nehra has built their T20 reputation in the IPL. The emergence of younger players has been an essential part of IPL over the years.But IPL has not only benefited Indian cricket with the emergence of players performing big for the national team, it has certainly benefited world cricket by producing the platform where many leading international cricketers from foreign countries built their reputation.IPL was instrumental in changing the careers of these talented individualsfrom different countries and helped them to re-establish themselves in front of the national selectors.Here we pick five foreign cricketers who built their respective reputations in the IPL:

#5 David Hussey (Australia)

David Hussey playing for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.

This talented Australian is known as one of the best players of the T20-format and IPL has been instrumental for him to get this reputation. In the inaugural IPL in 2008 Kolkata Knight Riders surprisingly picked him at the player auction when he was only known as the younger brother of Mr. Cricket Michael Hussey.

By the end of the tournament, David Hussey made his own identity as one of the most useful players in the IPL. He made 319 runs in 13 IPL matches that season at an average of 29 and with a strike-rate of 123.16, he also chipped in with two wickets with his part-time off-breaks. His fielding skills are also a very big plus of his game.

Hussey represented Australia in 69 ODIs and 39 T20Is and played some memorable innings for his country. Apart from Kolkata he has also played for the Kings XI Punjab and for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL.

In a total of 64 IPL matches he has scored 1322 runs at an average of 26.97 and with a strike-rate of 122.97. He has also taken 25 catches in the course of the same number of matches. Undoubtedly David Hussey gained international recognition through IPL.

#4 Sunil Narine (West Indies)

This West Indian right-arm off-break bowler is undoubtedly the most dangerous mystery-spinner around currently. He can spin the ball both ways in a consistent basis which is a very rare skill to acquire.

In 2012 IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders signed him at the player auction, at that time he was only three ODIs old and looking to make his mark on the international stage. The following IPL of that season changed him a superstar instantly.

He was the second highest wicket-taker in the IPL 2012 with 24 wickets with an economy rate of 5.47 which was also the second lowest economy-rate of the tournament. He has adjudged the player of the tournament as he guided his team to the title.

Though Narine is currently suspended from bowling in international cricket, after his bowling was deemed to b illegal, he had a successful international career for his nation. He was also a member of West Indies’s World T20 winning team.

But it was IPL which made him the superstar he is right now. In 55 IPL matches, he picked up 74 wickets at an average of 17.77 and with an economy rate of 6.

#3 David Miller (South Africa)

The talented left-hander is currently one of the cleanest hitters of the cricket ball in international cricket. In 2013 IPL Auction he was signed by IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab for a whopping Rs. 6 crores.

Although Miller had already made his international debut by then he was still a newcomer in the international arena fighting to make his mark in that scenario. By the end of IPL 2013, he established himself as “Killer Miller” with his hitting ability.

In 12 matches in IPL 2013, he scored 418 runs at an average of 59.71 and with a superb strike-rate of 164.56. Miller also made the third fastest hundred in IPL history when he made 101* off just 38 balls while chasing against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Miller has represented South Africa in both limited-overs format and is a curtail member of the team. He was also an important member of the Proteas side which was semi-finalists in the 2015 World Cup. But his IPL career helped him a great deal in building his reputation as a clean, big hitter of the cricket ball.

In 47 IPL matches, he has scored 1319 runs at an average of 42.54 and a strike-rate of 147.53 with the help of 70 sixes.

#2 Kieron Pollard (West Indies)

The aggressive all-rounder from the Caribbean is known as one of the hardest hitters of the cricket ball. This big-hitting cricketer was signed by IPL franchise Mumbai Indians after his heroics with the bat for Trinidad and Tobago in the 2009 Champions League, where he smacked 54 runs in just 18 balls against New South Wales.

Though Pollard already made his debut for West Indies then, he wasn’t able to feature consistently in the team back then. In 2010, the big all-rounder made his debut in IPL and straight away impressed everyone with his all-round show.

In 14 appearances Pollard scored 273 runs at an average of 22.75 and with an outstanding strike-rate of 185.71 in his first season in IPL. Along with his batting, he also picked up 15 wickets in the tournament which made him one of the best all-rounders in the league.

Since then the 28-year-old has enjoyed tremendous international success and represented West Indies in 91 ODIs and 45 T20Is. Pollard was a very important member of West Indies’s 2012 World T20 winning side.

The big-hitting, charming and clever bowling Caribbean all-rounder built his big reputation in the IPL.

#1 Shaun Marsh (Australia)

Shaun Marsh was the highest run-scorer in the inaugural IPL.

This Australian cricketer became a household name in India during the inaugural IPL season in 2008. The talented Western Australia-born batsman made a huge impact with his batting and was awarded a national call-up for his superb performance.

Marsh finished the tournament being the holder of the “orange cap” which marks the highest run scorer of the season. He scored a mammoth 616 runs in just 11 appearances for Kings XI Punjab at a staggering average of 68.44 and with an impressive strike-rate of 139.68.

Many pundits touted him as the “found of the tournament” who went on to become a successful international cricketer for his homeland. Since then the left-handed top-order batsman has represented Australia in 17 Test, 50 ODIs and 15 T20Is and is an important member of the team.

Marsh was also a member of Australia’s 2015 World Cup winning squad. His reputation as one of the best T20 batsman in the world relies on his IPL show. In 56 IPL appearances, he has scored 2054 runs with an average of 41.91 and a strike-rate of 133.55.

It would not be wrong to say that Shaun Marsh’s reputation as excellent limited-overs cricketer was built through IPL.