5 Indian players who could not live up to their hype in the IPL

India is a cricket frenzy nation where cricket is not just a sport, it is a religion. Here, cricketers are worshiped like Gods. Every other child in India wants to be a cricketer and play for the national team. In the pre-IPL era, it was to be done through a rather tough route of domestic cricket where years of consistency and perseverance would earn you the limelight and national call-ups.

But ever since the IPL started in 2008, it has been the shortcut to fame where you can go from rags to riches in a matter of weeks. Every season has seen a few youngsters who rise from nowhere to be touted as the next big thing in Indian cricket but never make it to the big stage. Either they can’t cope up with the pressure at the highest level or they get distracted by the sudden celebrity status and lose their way.

There have been a lot of eye-catching youngsters during this year’s IPL as well who are already being seen donning the national kit soon. Gritty leg-spin of Yuzvendra Chahal, power hitting of Deepak Hooda, innovative stroke play of Sarfaraz Khan, consistency of Shreyas Iyer are some of them. But these players are quite young yet and should be dealt with very cautiously and carefully.

Lessons should be learned from such cases in the past where players couldn’t live up to the hype that was built up around them after performing in the IPL. Let’s have a look at some players who rose to fame during the IPL but faded away soon after.

1. Swapnil Asnodkar

Swapnil Asnodkar struggled after the first IPL season

Rajasthan Royals are still one of the most underrated champions of IPL history. Despite having no big names, they won the title riding on indomitable team spirit. Apart from Shane Warne’s captaincy, Sohail Tanvir’s unorthodox bowling and Shane Watson’s & Yusuf Pathan’s all-round show, one major factor in their victory was their consistent opening pair.

Alongside ex-South African skipper Graeme Smith, the pocket-sized Swapnil Asnodkar earned a lot of plaudits. The opener from Goa scored 311 runs in the 9 innings at an impressive average of 34.55 and strike-rate of 133.47. He shared 418 runs with Smith at an average of 59.18 for the opening wicket. His fearless strokeplay suddenly led to him getting noticed, but things faded away soon. He could never live up to his stats in the inaugural season and currently, he is not a part of any IPL franchise.

Domestic record: 4442 first-class runs in 116 innings at an average of 41.12; highest score – 254*

National call-up: No

2. Paul Valthaty

Paul Valthaty

In the 2011 season of the IPL, the KXIP opener took the world by storm after scoring a century against the mighty bowling attack of CSK. His 120* was the highest individual score that year. The Mumbaikar amassed 463 runs at an average of 35.61 and strike-rate of 136.98. Despite being in the U-19 squad for the 2002 U-19 World Cup alongside Parthiv Patel and Irfan Pathan, he could not make his mark until his IPL ton.

After he made his first-class debut for Himachal Pradesh in the 2011-12 season, injuries kept him away from competitive cricket every now and then. He played only 7 matches in the 2012 and 2013 editions of the IPL and went unsold in the 2014 player auction.

Domestic record: Hasn’t played much domestic cricket due to injuries

National call up: No

3. Saurabh Tiwary

Saurabh Tiwary was a huge disappointment at RCB

In the 2010 season, Saurabh Tiwary came into the limelight after consistently impressive performances for Mumbai Indians. Hailing from Jharkhand, the same place as MS Dhoni, he had modeled almost everything on Dhoni back then including his hairstyle. Just like Dhoni, he is powerful, muscular and can clear the fences very easily.

He was one of the key performers in India’s U-19 World Cup triumph in 2008. He scored 419 runs at a strike-rate of 135.59 and an average of just under 30 in IPL 2010 for Mumbai. He also managed to score three half-centuries in the tournament. Impressed by his showing, RCB signed him for a whopping 1.6 million USD in the 2011 auction. He has never been able to reach the same heights since then and is currently just a fringe player in the Delhi Daredevils side.

Domestic record: 4167 first-class runs in 93 innings at an average of 47.89; highest score – 238

National call up: Yes

National record: 49 runs in 3 ODIs; highest score – 37*

4. Manpreet Gony

Manpreet Gony

In the first edition of the IPL, Manpreet Gony led the CSK bowling attack to the final. With experienced bowlers like Makhaya Ntini and Albie Morkel alongside, the pacer from Punjab took 17 wickets at an average of 26.05 and economy of 7.38. His showing immediately earned him a national call-up, but he failed to impress in the two ODIs that he played against Hong Kong and Bangladesh. After this, he took only 20 wickets in the next 5 IPL seasons and has gradually faded away from the scene.

While his first-class record, having taken 142 wickets in 46 matches, is not too bad, it is unlikely that he will get a chance in the IPL again.

Domestic record: 142 first-class wickets in 77 innings at an average of 30.93

National call-up: Yes

National record: Two wickets in two ODIs at an economy of 5.84

5. Pradeep Sangwan

Pradeep Sangwan is one of the youngest cricketers to have played in the IPL

In 2009, the Delhi Daredevils topped the IPL table and there were quite a few bright performers in their impressive campaign. Young left-arm seamer Pradeep Sangwan was one of them. Benefiting from the experience of fellow left-arm pacers Ashish Nehra and Dirk Nannes, he grabbed 15 wickets in 13 matches to catch the eyes of critics as well as fans. But he could take only 10 wickets in the next three seasons before testing positive in a drug test during IPL 2013 and getting banned for 18 months.

Domestic record: 128 first-class wickets in 73 innings at an average of 31.68

National call-up: No

In conclusion, the IPL is a platform for the youngsters to show their mettle, but instant attention can be fatal for their careers. They should be tried and tested through playing in domestic cricket before burdening them with national responsibilities. As the famous saying goes, “Form is temporary, class is permanent.” If a youngster is good enough to play at the highest level, he must show consistency at the domestic level first.