6 players you did not know once represented Rajasthan Royals

The Rajasthan Royals, winners of the first ever IPL back in 2008, have always had unconventional picks. Right from the first season, they have invested in players others might not think of, and under able captains have been able to deliver the results. Be it the unknown Kamran Khan, or the swashbuckling Swapnil Asnodkar, little-known players caught the eye of the public during their time with the Royals.

They have had five captains till date, and all of them have fielded utility players in the side, some famous, and others not-so-famous. Due to the fast-moving nature of the IPL, some prominent players also represented franchises but not many recall them due to their few appearances.

Here are some players you might not know represented the Royals:

Aaron Finch

Australia v India - T20

The burly top-order batsman is known for his hard-hitting knocks and dependable strokeplay. He's been part of numerous franchises, and early this year, became the first player to represent seven different teams in the IPL. One of them was the Royals.

He played in 2010 for the Rajasthan Royals, but managed to get just one game in the entire season. He scored 21 runs in that game while playing under Shane Warne. The team had lost Graeme Smith and Dmitri Mascarenhas to injuries, and had a free slot for a foreigner.

Younis Khan

Pakistan v New Zealand - 4th ODI

Pakistan players were lost to IPL after the first season and one of them was their classy batsman Younis Khan. By the time the 2008 IPL arrived, he had become a rock-solid middle-order batsman for the national side.

He too managed to play just one game, probably because he was not identified as an out-and-out T20 player.

His only match came against the Kings XI Punjab where he scored three runs in seven balls.

Justin Langer

Australia Training Session

Hardly anyone remembers Justin Langer playing for the Rajasthan Royals. The Jaipur based team had quite a few Australians in its line-up, one of them being the current coach of the Australian team.

Langer, a solid top-order batsman, was also a misfit of sorts in the T20 format. His only game for the Royals came in the British Asian Cup in 2009, when the side played Middlesex for a one-off game. He came in at No.5 and scored just one run.

He was set to make his IPL debut against Mumbai Indians in 2009, but the game was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Damien Martyn

ICC Champions Trophy Final - Australia v West Indies

The stylish middle-order batsman from Australia is remembered by many Indians as the man who scored a stroke-filled century in the 2003 World Cup final. An efficient batsman who was not flashy, Martyn's services were acquired by Warne's Royals.

The association did not last long as Martyn was dumped in 2010 when the side decided to trim their squad. HIs only game saw him score 19 off 24 balls.

Jacob Oram

New Zealand v South Africa - ICC Twenty20 World Cup

The New Zealand all-rounder was a popular figure in the international arena but it is surprising that he played only 18 IPL games in total. His third IPL season (in 2011) was with the Rajasthan Royals.

He played just two games for the franchise and could not create any impact in the limited opportunities he got. In two games, he scored no runs and picked up just one wicket. After an excellent 2011 World Cup, Oram was taken in by Royals as a replacement for the injured Paul Collingwood.

Darren Lehmann

VIC v SA - JLT One Day Cup

The stocky batsman recently moved away from his role as the coach of the Australian team after the ball-tampering fiasco. As a player, he had a decent career and managed to play the inaugural IPL in 2008, representing his franchise in two matches. He managed just 19 runs.

Later, he became the coach of the Deccan Chargers and coached them to the title in 2009. He was also named as coach of the Kings XI Punjab in 2013, but was replaced by Sanjay Bangar the very next year.