5 unsung heroes in the IPL over the years

Since its inception, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has seen some spectacular performances from the best players in the world and also given stardom to previously unknown players, many of whom have later gone on to establish themselves on the world stage.However, there have also been a few players who have been a vital cog in their team’s success but went about doing their work quietly and didn’t really garner much attention. We look at some of the unsung heroes in the IPL over the years.

#1 Rajat Bhatia

The experienced all-rounder has been a valuable asset for each of the three teams that he has represented in the IPL: Delhi Daredevils, Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals. His right-arm medium pace bowling has offered a handy option for his captains to bowl the quota of 4 overs economically and pick up wickets at important stages.

Bhatia has picked up a total of 63 wickets from 80 matches in the IPL with a respectable economy of 7.38 and strike rate of 21.58. He has also contributed occasionally with the bat with some handy runs in the lower middle order.

#2 Subramaniam Badrinath

A technically gifted player, Subramaniam Badrinath was often required to be the calming influence in the Chennai Super Kings batting line-up packed with power hitters. Despite a runs tally of 1441 with 11 fifties, mostly coming when his side needed him to step up the most, Badrinath almost never got due recognition for his efforts and was in fact left unsold in the 2014 IPL auctions.

With the Chennai side replacing Badrinath with new additions to their batting, the talented right-hander will now play for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2015 after a season’s absence.

#3 Shahbaz Nadeem

The Jharkhand captain has been playing for the Delhi Daredevils since 2011 and has been one of the few bright sparks in a largely underperforming team.

Nadeem, who idolized Wasim Akram and dreamt of becoming a left-arm fast bowler like him before switching to spin bowling, has 29 wickets from 40 IPL matches with a respectable economy rate of just above 7. The left-arm slow bowler with a classical action isn’t afraid to experiment and toss the ball up.

#4 Siddharth Trivedi

Despite being banned for a year after being found guilty of breaching BCCI’s anti-corruption code, Siddharth Trivedi will be considered among the unsung stars in IPL history. His wickets were crucial to Rajasthan Royals winning the inaugural edition of the tournament, and he continued to be an important member of the Royals right until his ban as he scalped 65 wickets from 76 matches.

Former Royals skipper Shane Warne was a big fan of Trivedi’s accurate bowling and often used him as the team’s strike bowler.

#5 Shadab Jakati

The left-arm spinner from Goa played for Chennai Super Kings for four seasons between 2009 and 2012. An unknown quantity and someone who previously had a modest record, Jakati proved to be an inspired pick by the CSK team management.

Jakati had two consecutive four-wicket hauls in his debut season which established him as a regular member in the side and was a key player in the CSK team which won consecutive IPL trophies in 2010 and 2011 as he took 45 wickets in 4 seasons for the Chennai side.