5 players who set the IPL on fire, but disappointed at the international level

The IPL has played a huge role in the rise of the Indian cricket team over the last few years. The tournament has given a platform to young Indian cricketers to compete with the best in the world.

The likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal and many other current Indian stars used the IPL stage to impress the selectors before being called up to the national team.

Recently, Sachin Tendulkar credited the IPL for the success of the Indian fast bowlers, highlighting how much the tournament has benefitted the Indian team. However, not every player who made a mark in the IPL could replicate that success at the international level.

In this article, we look at five players who made headlines with their excellent performances in the IPL but failed to make their presence felt on the international stage.

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1. Jaydev Unadkat, 24 wickets in IPL 2017

Jaydev Unadkat bowled a 3-wicket maiden in the final over of #SRHvRPS#DontFadeAway pic.twitter.com/GAVqtfHOpm

— Sportskeeda India (@Sportskeeda) May 6, 2017

Jaydev Unadkat went wicketless in the 2015 and 2016 IPL seasons. He moved to the Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017 and enjoyed the best season of his career. The left-arm pacer scalped 24 wickets in 12 matches at an economy rate of 7.03.

He returned to the Indian T20I team on the back of his performances in that IPL season. However, Unadkat could not cement his place in the national side. He did manage to pick up 10 wickets in six T20Is that he played in 2018, but his economy rate was 9.88 and that led to his exit.

Also see the updated IPL highest opening partnership stats here.

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2. Mohit Sharma, 20 wickets in IPL 2013

Mohit Sharma played for India in ICC T20 World Cup 2014 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015

Mohit Sharma made his T20I debut in the T20 World Cup in 2014 after delivering consistently for the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2013. Mohit took 20 wickets in his debut IPL season. He then won the IPL Purple Cap award in 2014 after taking his tally to 43 wickets in 31 games.

However, the right-arm medium pacer picked up only six wickets in eight T20Is. Moreover, his economy was more than eight runs per over.

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3. Karn Sharma, 15 wickets in IPL 2014

What a lucky charm to have on your side! 🤩Karn Sharma is the holder of this unique record of having won 3 titles in 3 years 🏆🏆#Cricket #IPL #Indianpremierleague #Karnsharma pic.twitter.com/QiMfoyEs3h

— Sportskeeda India (@Sportskeeda) April 4, 2020

Karn Sharma proved to be a match-winner for the Sunrisers Hyderabad early on. The leg-spinner picked up 11 wickets at an economy rate of 6.60 in 2013 and followed it up with another impressive display in 2014, scalping 14 wickets in 14 games.

He was rewarded with a call-up to the Indian team and made his ODI debut. Unfortunately, Karn went wicketless in both matches that he played against Sri Lanka. His economy rate was also close to seven runs per over. He even failed to impress in the solitary Test match he played against Australia in 2014.

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4. Sandeep Sharma, 31 wickets in IPL 2014 & 2015

Sandeep Sharma wreaked havoc against Bangalore and created a new record!#RCBvKXIP #DontFadeAway pic.twitter.com/cSSJGs3XT6

— Sportskeeda India (@Sportskeeda) May 5, 2017

Sandeep Sharma shot into the limelight with his magnificent bowling performances for the Punjab Kings. The right-arm pacer scalped a total of 31 wickets and bowled six maidens in IPL 2014 and 2015.

He made his T20I debut against Zimbabwe in July 2015. However, he struggled to make any kind of impact. Sandeep picked up a solitary wicket in two games and leaked runs at an economy rate of 10.43.

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5. Murali Vijay, 2 centuries in 3 IPL seasons

Murali Vijay played well for India in Tests but not in the other formats of the game

Murali Vijay played a vital role in the Chennai Super Kings' success during the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons. The right-handed batsman aggregated 1,228 runs in three tournaments and smashed two centuries.

Vijay made his T20I debut against Afghanistan at the ICC T20 World Cup in 2010. Although he received multiple opportunities, Vijay was unable to cement his place in the Indian team. He scored 108 runs in six T20Is in 2010 at a miserable strike rate of 96.43. In 2011, he played a solitary T20I against South Africa, and scored 14 runs off 12 balls.