Indian Premier League is now a definite criterion for selection to the Indian Cricket Team. With the world-class quality of cricket on display at IPL, if a player performs in the competition, it implies he is ready to take his career to the next step. However, there have been a few cases where a player did remarkably well in IPL but failed in international cricket.
Especially in India, the competition for places in the national team is immense. If you fail to grab one opportunity, you might have to wait long before you get the next one or might not even get it. Players are under more pressure, and this sometimes affects their performances. In this article, we take a look at five Indians who did well in IPL but failed in international cricket.
1. Mohit Sharma
Indian Premier League: 92 wickets in 86 games at an economy of 8.45
Limited Overs Internationals: 31 wickets in 26 ODI games at an economy of 5.45 || 6 wickets in 8 T20I games at an economy of 8.04
Mohit Sharma was an uncapped player when he started out at CSK. However, the player was quick to make an impression under the leadership of MS Dhoni. He showed variety in his bowling armoury and picked wickets consistently. While the 2013 edition was his breakout campaign where he collected 20 wickets, Mohit did even better in IPL 2014 by winning the Purple Cap for taking 23 scalps.
On India’s tour of Zimbabwe in 2013, Mohit made his ODI debut. He got the player of the match award in his first game itself. A year later, he got to play his first T20I against Australia in the 2014 T20 World Cup. Mohit also participated in the 2015 ODI World Cup. Although he had a decent start, Mohit struggled to remain consistent and eventually lost his place in Team India.
2. Ambati Rayudu
Indian Premier League: 3795 runs in 166 games
Limited Overs Internationals: 1694 runs in 55 ODI games || 42 runs in 6 T20I games
Ambati Rayudu is a veteran when it comes to IPL. He has done well both at Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, that too, at various positions in the batting order. In seven seasons, Rayudu made more than 300 runs with the 2018 edition his best, where he got 602 runs from 16 games.
Twice Rayudu was selected as a replacement in the Indian Team but did not get a game. In the 2013 tour of Zimbabwe, Rayudu made his ODI debut and even got a half-century on debut. He featured consistently for a few tournaments before the lack of form put him out of the Indian Team. However, Rayudu earned a comeback to the ODI Team around the 2019 World Cup. He looked set to occupy the No.4 position before a barren run ruined his chances. Rayudu did not get selected to the World Cup and later even announced retirement from international cricket.
3. Rahul Sharma
Indian Premier League: 40 wickets in 44 games at an economy of 7.02
Limited Overs Internationals: 6 wickets in 4 ODI games at an economy of 5.15 || 3 wickets in 2 T20I games at an economy of 7.63
Rahul Sharma almost had an instant impact in IPL. A tall leg-spinner, Rahul reminded everyone of Anil Kumble and expected him to follow the legend’s footsteps. In IPL 2011, Rahul delivered one of his best performances for Pune Warriors. Against Mumbai Indians, he bowled four overs, giving away just seven runs, while also collecting two wickets.
While Rahul made his ODI debut in 2011, he followed it up with a T20I cap in 2012. The Punjab spinner’s ODI debut was good. He collected three wickets, all of them bowled, against West Indies. In his first T20I, Rahul injured his finger but yet, came back to the bowl and impressed with his attitude. In both formats, the spinner could not get more opportunities after his bowling looked bland and directionless eventually he failed in his international cricket career in a short span.
4. Murali Vijay
Indian Premier League: 2619 runs in 106 games
Limited Overs Internationals: 339 runs in 17 ODI games || 169 runs in 9 T20I games
Murali Vijay was always branded as a Test cricketer. However, he was one of the best openers for CSK at his peak. His stats speak volumes about his skills in the T20 format. One of his best displays came about in the 2011 IPL final when Vijay struck 95 runs from 52 balls and helped CSK lift the trophy. He was also given the player of the match award in that encounter.
Although he had a decent Test career, Vijay was a disappointment in the limited-overs format. In both T20Is and ODIs, Vijay was not able to leave an impact and was soon replaced in the squad.
5. Siddarth Kaul
Indian Premier League: 54 wickets in 49 games at an economy of 8.59
Limited Overs Internationals: 0 wickets in 3 ODI games at an economy of 6.62 || 4 wickets in 3 T20I games at an economy of 8.68
Siddarth Kaul did well for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL. Although he has tapered off late, at his peak, Kaul was SRH‘s No.1 bowling option for the middle and death overs. In IPL 2017 and 2018 combined, Siddarth picked up a total of 37 wickets, which helped SRH do well in the competition.
After IPL 2018, Kaul made his debut for Team India in the same year. However, the 2008 U19 World Cup winner could just not make an impression. While he struggled to pick wickets, the Punjab cricketer also leaked runs, something which did not help him in the team.
