IPL History: Top 5 famous Indian-foreigner unions

Indian Premier League, a franchise-based Twenty20 competition that was introduced by the BCCI in the year 2008, has been successful in every possible way. From generating great entertainment to dousing the organizers with profit, IPL has fulfilled all promises firmly.

IPL was brought to cash in the attraction of T20 cricket that was alluring a big group of cricket fans, and, with no surprise, it has been successful to an extent that watching IPL matches in the evenings of April and May has become a regular routine for Indians.

While IPL has provided the opportunity to watch Indian legends competing against one another in cut-throat competition, it has also given the luxury to watch the Indian players playing with their rivals from other countries. Many foreigner cricketers, who were rivals of Indian cricketers at some point of time, played alongside in a same playing eleven in Indian Premier League.

In this article, we are going to have a look at five famous Indian-foreigner pairs, watching whom together in IPL, cricket fans enjoyed a lot.

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#1 Ricky Ponting-Sourav Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly and Ricky Ponting ahead of IPL 2008.

There is no doubt that at some point of time both were huge rivals of each other, captaining their respective nations. India versus Australia, under Sourav Ganguly and Ricky Ponting respectively, was a separate contest in itself, as obvious by the results of the World Cup 2003 where Australia was unbeaten throughout and India was only beaten by Australia. Under Ganguly, the Indian team challenged the Ponting-led invincible Australian team, the top moment of that was the final of the 2003 World Cup.

In the inaugural season of IPL in the year 2008, Kolkata Knight Riders got together the two of them. While Ganguly was named as the icon player for KKR, Ponting was hooked up by KKR for $4 lakh during the auction.

Though Ponting played just four matches for KKR and scored only 39 runs at 9.75 with the highest score of 20, watching two opponent decision-makers thinking about the same team was a joyful scene for cricket fans.

#2 Sachin Tendulkar-Sanath Jayasuriya

It was a bowlers' nightmare.

Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya are two batsmen who have opened the innings for the most number of times in ODI cricket. While Jayasuriya opened the innings 383 times for Sri Lanka, Tendulkar did the same 340 times for India. For around 18 years, both were the star performers for their respective nations, especially in the contests between both teams.

In 58 matches between India and Sri Lanka when these two opened the innings for their respective teams, Sachin scored eight centuries and 14 half-centuries, while Jayasuriya scored six centuries and 10 half-centuries.

The advent of the Indian Premier League presented the opportunity to watch these two rival openers opening the innings for the same team. Mumbai Indians bought Jayasuriya in $9.75 lakh during the auction, while Tendulkar was a part of the franchise as an icon player.

The two opened the innings 19 times for Mumbai Indians and added 713 runs at 37.52 with the highest partnership of 127 against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2009.

#3 Sachin Tendulkar-Ricky Ponting

One of the best moment in IPL cricket history.

Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting often become parts of the discussion related to the best batsman in the history of cricket. While Tendulkar was peerless in the 90s, Ponting owned the following decade.

Till date, both batsmen are ranked at number 1 and 2 positions in terms of the highest run scorers in Test cricket history. Sachin has scored 15,921 runs, while Ponting has 13,378 runs to his name. It is often discussed that who is the better batsman of the two in the era post-1990.

IPL 2013 presented the joy of watching the two batting genius playing alongside in the same jersey when Mumbai Indians acquired Ponting for ₹4 lakh during the auction ahead of the sixth season of IPL.

Out of six matches Ponting played for Mumbai Indians, five times he was the opening partner of Sachin Tendulkar. But Ponting could not make a mark for himself in IPL as with the end of the stint with Mumbai Indians, his run in IPL got to an end.

#4 Harbhajan Singh-Andrew Symonds

Enemies turn friends.

India's tour of Australia in 2007-08 is termed as one of the most controversial contests ever happened in the game of cricket, and the players who took the center-stage for it were Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and Australian all-rounder, Andrew Symonds. The two players were involved in the heated 'monkey-gate' scandal that created a lot of strife between both nations. Things were so critical that at one point of time it looked to revoke the tour mid-way.

A few years later, IPL 2011 became the medium of sweetish swing in circumstances as Mumbai Indians roped in Symonds for $8.5 lakh, while Harbhajan was a part of Mumbai squad since the inception of the IPL.

For the 10 occasions, Symonds and Harbhajan featured in the Mumbai Indians playing eleven, and the bitterness between the both looked to ease-off. Before playing for Mumbai Indians, Symonds was a part of Deccan Chargers franchise from 2008-2010.

#5 Virat Kohli-AB de Villiers

It is unsure that who should be termed as the best batsman in the current decade. Both Virat Kohli and AB de Villers have done enough on their front to be called as the better of the two: both have been kingpin for their respective sides over the years.

For cricket viewers, it could not have been a better sight than to relish these two batting together in the same jersey. Royal Challengers Bangalore, in the auction for IPL 2011, roped in de Villiers for $11 lakh, while Kohli was the part of the team since the very start of the league in 2008.

Since then, Kohli and de Villers are the parts of RCB contingent and have entertained the fans to the utmost joy with their blistering partnerships. Before joining Royal Challengers Banglore in the year 2011, de Villiers was a part of the then Delhi Daredevils franchise.