5 players who embraced their way in Indian Cricket Team through IPL.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been a platform for a number of players to crack their way into the big leagues and play for their respective national teams on the International level. It has set a benchmark for players to show that they are capable enough to hang with the absolute greats of the game.

With time, the IPL has produced a bunch of promising prospects. Today, these players represent their respective national teams after having been hardened in the IPL.

Here, we look at five of these players who have skimmed their way into the Indian Cricket team through the IPL.

#1 Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya is one of those all-rounders India was looking for, to strengthen their lower order. His IPL journey started when the Mumbai Indians franchise signed him to a contract for the 2015 edition of the tournament. He shot his rep in this league, proclaiming his talent in every department on the field. Later, he displayed his talent in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament in January 2016. Pandya was the highest run-getter for Baroda with 377 runs in 10 innings at an average of 53.85, plus he took a total of 10 wickets in that season.

He was then subsequently called up for the limited-overs tour to Australia, where he made his international debut on January 26, 2016. He immediately impressed selectors with his performance, which then led towards Pandya securing a position for the upcoming home series against New Zealand. By this time, he had worked on his swing bowling skills and was hitting the 140s regularly, troubling batsmen with his rack length. In fact, having been a part of the 2016 World T20, he helped Indian Team to secure a must-win victory against Bangladesh, defending 11 runs in his last over.

Hardik Pandya holds several records in International cricket. In his ODI debut, he became the 4th Indian to win Man of the match for his spell of 3 for 31 against New Zealand at Dharamsala. His knock against Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy proved that he had the ability to become a dependable finisher. This knock broke the record of the fastest half-century in the tournament, excelling Adam Gilchrist and scoring 76 runs off just 43 balls in the process.

He remains a vital cog in India's 2019 World Cup plans, providing a much-needed balance in the side.

#2 Krunal Pandya

Indian Premier League (IPL) proceeded to give India another promising player named Krunal Pandya. He made his IPL debut playing for Mumbai Indians in the year 2016. Left-handed and hard hitting with the bat, adding to his left-arm spin, puts him in the same league of lower-order all-rounders, like that of his younger brother, Hardik Pandya.

In 2006, despite not having made his first-class debut yet, the Mumbai Indians franchise bagged him for two crores, courtesy his performances in the local cricket circle. With his knock of 86 off just 37 deliveries against Delhi Daredevils, he repaid the trust of the franchise. In the following season, Krunal emerged as a vital player for the franchise which included an impressive Man of the Match award in the finals.

His domestic performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he emerged as a leading run-getter and wicket taker for Baroda, was enough to catch the eye of the selectors. This performance aided him in earning his spot in the India A's tri-series squad against Australia A.and Afganistan A. The national selectors bestowed upon him the T20 cap against West Indies in 2018.

In India's search to find a settled allrounder for the lower order in ODI's, he offers a formidable choice, especially ahead of the 2019 world cup.

#3 Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal is one of the finest front line spin bowlers India possesses today. While he doesn't have a deceptive googly, he makes up for it with his skiddy bowling action and accurate line and length. He was first signed by the Mumbai Indians franchise in the 2011 edition, however, he didn't play many matches and was later pooled in the 2014 Auction.

It was at that point, when he was picked by the star-studded Royal Challengers Banglore in the 2014 IPL edition. In a first for Chahal, he played every single match and his ability to take wickets at crucial times grasped the attention of the selectors. He was the highest wicket-taker for RCB for two straight years. He took 23 and 21 wickets in the 2015 and 2016 editions respectively and a total of 70 wickets in 55 games for RCB.

With this kind of consistency in his performance, he was selected in the squad for the Zimbabwe tour. Chahal grabbed this opportunity with both hands. He went on to display a power-packed performance when England visited India, registering his best bowling figures in T20 Internationals, by taking 6 wickets for 25 runs at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium Banglore.

He is one of those death-over specialists that India would benefit from, heading into the World Cup.

#4 Jasprit Bumrah

Indian team's desperate search for a death-over bowler came to an end, when Jasprit Bumrah came to the forefront through the Indian Premier League. Much like his Mumbai Indians teammate, Lasith Malinga, Bumrah etched himself a reputation for possessing an unnatural ability to hit the blockhole. Additionally, it was during his time in the IPL that he learned the proper use of a yorker from the Sri Lankan.

His quick arm action has made his variations almost impalpable, be it his slow ball variations or his death-over reverse-swinging yorkers.

He started his journey with the Mumbai franchise, cracking 3 for 32 in his debut Match against Royal Challengers Banglore on April 4, 2013, at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, with his first victim being Virat Kohli. Bumrah shaped himself as a player who can hit the blockholes at any moment.

He was Gujarat's second highest wicket-taker in Ranji trophy and topped the bowling chart in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in the 2105-16 season. Those performances on his part, plus Mohammed Shami's untimely injury, gave Bumrah the coveted spot in the squad.

He made his One day International debut when the Indian team visited Australia on 23 January, 2016. His slow ball variations and yorkers on the Australian turf made him one of the most lethal mainline bowlers for India. When England visited India on Jan 29, 2017, he struck at the right moment, taking two wickets for two runs, with England needing a total of 8 runs to win. He has delivered consistent performances and has since become an irreplaceable asset for the Indian team.

His presence solidifies the Indian bowling lineup and he is bound to be a crucial player for his first ever World cup, commencing from 30th May 2019.

#5 Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep, a rare kind of chinaman bowler in today's age, had rallied the lost art out of its grave, along with a handful of other young chinamen. He set the 2014 Under-19 World Cup alight by becoming India's leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 14 wickets, reinforcing the superiority of becoming the first Indian bowler to take a hat-trick in the history of the tournament, against Scotland.

Though Kuldeep was handed an Indian premier league contract in 2012 by Mumbai Indians, he was unable to make it to the playing XI. Finally, after a long wait, he was bought by the Kolkata Franchise and made his IPL debut in the 2016 edition versus Mumbai Indians, his former franchise. Kuldeep impressed everyone with his economy and wicket taking strategy. His performance later in the Duleep Trophy in 2016 left everyone outmanoeuvred when he took 17 wickets in just 3 matches.

He didn't have to wait much and got a call-up for the West Indies tour in mid-2017. He was the shared highest wicket-taker in the series. Later, he proved his ability in the Australian series where he took a hat trick, which came after a period of two decades. He became the 3rd Indian to take a hat trick after Chetan Sharma and Kapil Dev. He was handed the Coveted test cap against Australia on March 23, 2017, where he seized 4 for 68 in his debut, setting the platform for a crucial Indian win as the Border-Gavaskar trophy returned to India.

He is definitely one of the most crucial assets India will be leaning on, as the ICC World Cup 2019 rolls around.