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The Indian Premier League (IPL) has tried to cover all bases of the vast country by forging teams and granting opportunities for players across all states. Players have kickstarted their IPL journey by representing their home franchise after rising through domestic circuits and undergoing trials organized by teams.
As a result, several players have played for their home IPL franchise at some point in their respective careers, but some famous names have never availed of that chance due to several factors.
Ahead of the inaugural edition in 2008, major players were allotted to their respective home franchises in a bid to build a fan following in that particular region. Since that ploy worked and a foundation of fans was assembled, the league introduced the mega auction concept, which has been the norm for more than a decade now.
With Dinesh Karthik's retirement from the IPL imminent, his final franchise will certainly be Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). As a result, despite representing Tamil Nadu for the entirety of his domestic career, he will end his IPL career without having played for his home IPL franchise - the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
On that note, let us take a look at five popular players who never played for their home franchise in the IPL.
#1 Virat Kohli
The former India skipper came into the maiden edition of the IPL in 2008 right after leading India in the 2008 U-19 World Cup. Right after the inaugural auction, there was a separate draft for the U-19 players, where the franchises could acquire emerging players.
Delhi Daredevils (now renamed as the Delhi Capitals) had the option of picking Virat Kohli, but they chose to go for Pradeep Sangwan. The franchise believed they did not need another batter, after having acquired the likes of Virender Sehwag and AB de Villiers at auction.
Kohli was eventually picked by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), and has not switched sides as of yet. Judging by the relationship between the two parties and Kohli's loyalty towards the side, it is likely that he will end his career with them, thus ending the hopes of the ace batter representing his home franchise in the IPL.
#2 Dinesh Karthik
As mentioned earlier, the veteran wicketkeeper will end his IPL career without playing for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The interesting fact is that the five-time champions were close to acquiring his services in the 2022 mega-auction, going toe-to-toe at the auction table against RCB. CSK went as high as ₹5.25 crore before RCB made the winning bid.
One of the few players to have played in every edition of the IPL to date, Karthik has represented a total of six franchises (Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils, Kings XI Punjab, Gujarat Lions, Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore) spanning the entire country, except his home state.
#3 Harbhajan Singh
One of the best spinners to have played in the competition, Harbhajan Singh, enjoyed a lot of success, winning silverware and leading teams. However, he ended his career without a single appearance for his home IPL franchise.
The player spent the major portion of his IPL career representing the Mumbai Indians (MI), followed by a couple of short stints with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
The spinner has admitted following his retirement from the sport that he would have loved the opportunity to play for his home franchise to wrap up his career.
“I didn’t get the chance to play for the Punjab Kings. In the last 2-3 years of my career, I wanted to represent the Punjab Kings in the IPL and utilise what skills I had left for the benefit of the team," Harbhajan Singh said while answering a question asked by a fan on Star Sports Star Cast.
#4 Jasprit Bumrah
The prodigal pacer was unearthed by the Mumbai Indians scouting team during his early exploits for the Baroda domestic side. However, even after a decade, Bumrah has stayed put with the five-time champions, even though Gujarat have had two franchises during the time frame in the form of the Gujarat Lions and the Gujarat Titans.
After establishing himself as a world-class bowler, and one of the best across formats, there is a slim chance of him leaving the franchise and heading over to his home IPL team in the future.
#5 Shubman Gill
Gill was roped in by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) right after his memorable 2018 U-19 World Cup campaign in New Zealand. After establishing himself with the two-time winners, he jumped ship to the Gujarat Titans (GT), where he won the Orange Cap, and was recently appointed skipper of the side.
Close to reaching 100 IPL appearances, Gill has only represented the above-mentioned franchises, and a switch to his home IPL franchise - the Punjab Kings (PBKS) looks unlikely in the foreseeable future.
