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Gone are the days when players used to sweat it out in the domestic league and rise through the ranks to enter the national playing eleven before they are recognized by the fans across the world. A cricketer’s claim to fame, as a matter of fact, is much more arduous than what is written in the previous sentence.Cometh the IPL, the fortunes have changed and attaining stardom is all about pulling off a stellar performance in an IPL season. Players climb to prominence as good as the tournament itself does. We have seen this happen ever since this tournament took the center stage in the Indian summer and became the most followed annual cricketing event.We turn back to pick 5 such international stars who have shot to prominence through this tournament and owe their career to the Indian Premier League.
#5 James Faulkner
The 24-year-old Tasmanian James Faulkner has the ability to change the game around with the bat or the ball. He was part of the Pune Warriors India set-up in IPL 2011 and turned out for the Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2012 before being inducted into the Rajasthan Royals since IPL 2013. He scalped 28 wickets that season for RR side becoming their highest wicket-taker.
The talented all-rounder can move the ball both ways and possesses a deceptive slower ball, which makes him a handful in the shorter formats. Faulkner can also be a handy attacking lower-order batsman for his side. His claim to fame in IPL saw the prestigious call from the Australian ODI side in 2013 and he has been a reckoning force in the team’s line-up since then.
#4 David Miller
Miller is a destructive South African left-handed batsman who plays for Kings XI in IPL. He made his debut for the Proteas in ODIs in 2010 but did not take off greatly; he has always maintained an impressive strike rate in the shorter formats though.
The youngster pulled off a magic of a game in 2013 IPL, as he attacked with an innings of 101 not out of 38 balls to help Punjab win the game against RCB where they needed 96 runs in the last 7 overs. "It was one of the best innings that has ever been seen in the Indian Premier League", RCB skipper Virat Kohli confessed after the assault. This merciless act earned him the nickname ‘'Killer Miller’.
In 2014, Miller along with Australia's Glenn Maxwell made several century stands while chasing big scores. Miller is now a mainstay in the South African ODI and T20 teams.
#3 Kieron Pollard
Kieron Pollard looks mighty and strong and so are his cricketing abilities. This aggressive West Indian middle-order batsman and medium fast bowler thrilled Indian audience during the Champions League Twenty20 in 2009 and his 18-ball 54 for Trinidad & Tobago against New South Wales caught the eyes of the IPL bidders.
He was snapped up by MI during the 2010 IPL as the joint highest paid player. Being a powerful striker of the ball, he announced his arrival in the biggest T20 event by scoring 146 runs in five innings at a strike rate of close to 200. He then became the most sought-after player as all the franchises jumped on to a rat race to bid for him. MI managed to retain this big man and he eventually went on to be adjudged Man of the Match in the 2013 IPL final because of his all-round display and helped MI surge to the title.
#2 Sunil Narine
This mystery off-spinner from the Carribean was a scintillating success in the IPL and is still hailed as the most dangerous among his KKR teammates and also among the opponents. Narine first played for Trinidad and Tobago in February 2009 and his good show helped the team qualify for the 2011 Champions League Twenty20 where he where was an outstanding success picking up 10 wickets.
He may have made his ODI debut for West Indies in 2011, but he hit the jackpot only in the 2012 IPL auction, attracting a bid of $700,000 from KKR. He lived up to the hype by winning the Man of the Tournament award and also spinning Knight Riders to their maiden title win that season. Thereupon, he’s become KKR’s most trusted man with the ball. He was recently fighting a controversial bowling action and has now come clean.
#1 Shaun Marsh
Shaun Marsh was a name unknown until the flashy Australian southpaw punished the bowlers all across the park during the inaugural edition of the IPL. Marsh got an offer to play for Kings XI Punjab in 2008 after proving to be the best in the Australian domestic T20 competitions.
Son of Geoff Marsh (a former Australian opening batsman) and brother of Mitchell Marsh, Shaun was consistent throughout the first season and became the leading run-scorer in that edition despite missing the first four games. That made him the first man to receive the ‘Orange Cap’ (which is presented to the leading run-getter in the tournament). This accreditation earned him the Australian colors.
He doesn’t have much to speak about in the IPL seasons that succeeded and has mostly been warming the dugout for Kings XI nevertheless, his is a name that cricket fans won’t forget any time sooner.
