The IPL 2022 wasn’t the first season where there were ten teams. IPL 2011 too had ten teams. Pune and Kochi were the two new teams in addition to the original eight. The Pune franchise was called Pune Warriors India.
Kochi Tuskers Kerala was the name of the Kerala-based franchise. The PWI team played for three seasons while KTK played just a single season. KTK won 6 games out of 14 that year finishing eighth on the points table. There were several popular players who featured for KTK.
We look at 5 such players who played for Kochi Tuskers Kerala:
#5 RP Singh
He enjoyed great success in the initial few years of the IPL. RP Singh played a key role in Deccan Chargers IPL trump in 2009. He continued to be effective in IPL 2010 too. But the mega auctions had forced DC to let go of RP Singh. The KTK franchise picked him up. He was their top bowler in that edition. Singh finished with 13 wickets in 14 games at an average of 26.53.
#4 Muttiah Muralitharan
Not many fans know that the legendary, Muttiah Muralitharan, played for KTK. He had a terrific run with CSK in the first three years where he was the lead spinner of the side. Murali retired from international cricket post the ODI World Cup in 2011. But continued to play the IPL. KTK picked him up in the auctions to lead their spin attack. But he had a forgettable season at Kochi wherein he featured in just 5 games picking up two wickets.
#3 Brendon McCullum
He is highly recognized in the IPL with the Kolkata Knight Riders. It is a side that he made his IPL debut with and later went on to coach the team. Brendon McCullum had set the stage alight in the very first game of the IPL with his history-defining 158. He never really managed to overcome that epic standard he set for himself. But interestingly he finished as the leading run-scorer for the KTK side in 2011. McCullum had notched up 357 runs in 13 games.
#2 Mahela Jayawardene
He is arguably the most successful coach in IPL history. Mahela Jayawardene coached the Mumbai team that went on to win 3 titles in 4 years in the phase between 2017-20. He is one of those players who made a successful transition from player to coach. Mahela had played for Punjab in the starting years. He led the KTK side in 2011. His tactical nous was there for everyone to see even back then. He had an average season as a batter though wherein he could just manage 299 runs in 13 games.
#1 Ravindra Jadeja
Shane Warne had called Ravindra Jadeja a rockstar as early as 2008. The legendary Warne was mighty impressed with young Jadeja. But success got the better of Jadeja in the early years as he went searching for another franchise while being contracted to the other. He was suspended for a whole season in 2010. KTK bought him in the 2011 mega auction. He did a fairly solid job as an allrounder scoring 283 runs and picking 8 wickets.
