5 Indian players who resurrected their international careers with the IPL

Amit Mishra

Team(s): Delhi Daredevils, Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad

Amit Mishra has been one of the best spinners in the IPL over the years and also, the only bowler to take three hat-tricks. He made his ODI debut way back in 2003 but had to wait for five more years to make his Test debut. His Test debut coincided with Anil Kumble's retirement and he was briefly viewed as the perfect leg spinner to replace Kumble.

However, his inconsistency let him down and he has played very few matches across all formats since then. However, his IPL performances have kept him in the limelight. A strong 2013 IPL season for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) earned him a recall to the Indian squad for the tour to Zimbabwe in 2013, two years after his last appearance.

He picked up 18 wickets in that tour and since then, he has been on the fringes of the Indian squad.

Pragyan Ojha

Team(s): Deccan Chargers, Mumbai Indians

Pragyan Ojha, 28, made his one-day debut for India against Bangladesh in 2008 on the back of strong IPL performances for the Deccan Chargers. He earned praise from his captain, Adam Gilchrist.

However, he never really cemented his place and was widely considered only as a backup spinner to Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra. However, he was very successful in the second season of the IPL, which ensured his selection in the 2009 World T20. He later made his debut in 2009, against Sri Lanka. He formed a lethal combination with Ashwin and was playing regularly in home Tests since 2012.

Ojha has performed exceedingly well in the six editions of IPL, having been awarded the Purple Cap for picking up the most number of wickets in IPL 2010. His strong IPL performances have kept him in the minds of the national selectors and he has used the IPL to stake a claim in the Indian team.

Lakshmipathy Balaji

Team(s): Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings XI Punjab

Lakshmipathy Balaji suffered a stress fracture in 2005 and was ruled out of playing cricket for a while. However, his unwavering spirit staged a miraculous comeback to international cricket in 2009.

He started his comeback with a strong first season in the IPL for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He earned a national recall the following year, against Sri Lanka in 2009. He then made it to the Test squad for the tour to New Zealand though he didn't feature in any game.

When it all seemed like his fairy-tale comeback had ended, he came into spotlight again in 2012 after some economical bowling for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and earned a call up to the T20 squad for the series against New Zealand. He also found a place in the 15-member squad for the World T20 that year.