IPL 2021: 5 unsung heroes in IPL history: The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) is slated to begin in April 2020. Unlike its previous edition, the tournament could be played in India. A mini-auction of the T20 league will be held in Chennai on February 18 to buy the released players from eight franchises of the IPL 2021. The respective squads have already retained the key players.
Provided stiff competition in the popular T20 league, it is not easy to win the title from individual performances. But whenever a team wins, the highest run-getters or wicket-takers get a lot of credit. And those away from the limelight who does their job are often forgotten. Here we provide you with a list of unsung heroes of IPL.
Check Top 5 five unsung heroes in IPL history
Swapnil Asnodkar (Rajasthan Royals)
The right-handed batsman was picked for Rs 1.2 crore by the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League’s inaugural edition. The opening batsman slammed 311 runs in just nine matches and provided good starts for RR, setting the perfect platform for Yusuf Pathan and Shane Watson in the middle-order. RR went on to win the silverware in the 2008 season, but Warne, Smith and Watson received all the plaudits.
Rajat Bhatia (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Kolkata Knight Riders had bought the all-rounder for Rs 30 lakh in 2012. He went on to pick 13 wickets in 17 matches, but his contribution was overshadowed by Sunil Narine and Jacques Kallis all-round performances. Bhatia repeated his success in 2014 and justified his price tag by claiming twelve wickets in 12 fixtures for KKR after getting picked for Rs 1.7 crore.
Subramaniam Badrinath (Chennai Super Kings)
The Tamil Nadu batsman scored 396 runs in 13 innings for CSK in 2011. He averaged more than top run-getters David Hussey and Suresh Raina in the fourth edition of IPL. Badrinath was bought for Rs 3.6 crore in 2011 after his promising performances in the previous edition. One shoud never forget his role in CSK’s 2010 and 2011 wins.
Saurabh Tiwary (Mumbai Indians)
MI picked the Jharkhand batsman for Rs 1.2 crore in 2010. Tiwary slammed 419 runs in just 15 innings and helped MI enter the 2010 final. His performance was overshadowed by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar who scored 618 runs in the equal number of matches.
Rahul Sharma (PWI)
Pune Warriors India (now defunct) picked the legbreak googly bowler for Rs 2 crores in 2011. The youngster scalped 16 wickets in 14 matches at an economy of under 8 rpo. Yuvraj Singh’s all-round stats in the 2011 edition overshadowed Sharma’s contribution to PWI