Indian Premier League (IPL) is undoubtedly one of the best domestic leagues in the world. It is a star-studded affair. The who’s who of international cricketing stars play the IPL. It has made stars out of rookies and they have gone on to represent their countries with distinction. But amidst all this star power, there have been few elite cricketers who have missed out on being part of the IPL bandwagon.
Let’s look at Top 11 Unlucky players in IPL History:
#1 Devon Conway
Devon Conway made more news when he failed to grab an IPL contract this year than his excellent cricketing exploits. Conway has played 14 T20Is, batted on 11 occasions, and scored 473 runs at an average of 59.12. He has struck all those runs at 151.11. He has already scored four half-centuries. Conway may have missed this year but if he keeps going, IPL 2022 mega auctions will be his for the taking.
#2 Tamim Iqbal
Tamim Iqbal is arguably the best Bangladeshi opener of all time. He is known for his aggressive starts and counterattacking batsmanship. But Iqbal’s T20I strike rate of 117 is well below par. Hence he has never featured in the IPL.
#3 Joe Root (C)
Joe Root is the only one among the Fab 4 who isn’t part of the IPL. Root’s overall career strike rate hovers around 128. He isn’t a permanent name in England’s T20I XI and hence teams have not trusted Root enough.
#4 Rassie van der Dussen
Rassie van der Dussen has been a prolific run-scorer for South Africa since the ODI World Cup in 2019. He is one of the most exciting names in world cricket. It is time he finds himself an IPL cap.
#5 Mushfiqur Rahim (WK)
Mushfiqur Rahim has gone unsold in the IPL in almost all seasons. His reason for not being picked is not just his paltry T20I numbers but also the fact that he has had a bitter relationship with Indian fans.
#6 Glenn Philipps
Glenn Philipps much like Devon Conway deserves to be part of the IPL. He has scored 506 runs in 25 T20Is at an average of 28.11 while scoring at nearly 150. Philipps can keep wickets too, IPL teams watch out for him in the mega auctions next year.
#7 Rovman Powell
Rovman Powell is a quintessential Windies T20 player. He strikes the ball long and hard. Powell is a decent bowling option too. He fits the bill perfectly at number 7.
#8 Qais Ahmed
Qais Ahmed is another mystery leg-spinner from Afghanistan. He has played 67 games and has picked up 77 wickets at a strike rate of 17.8 while conceding runs at just 7.15.
#9 Adil Rashid
One fails to understand why veteran wrist-spinner Adil Rashid hasn’t featured in the IPL yet. He has played 184 T20I’s picking up 205 wickets. Rashid’s strike rate of 18.40 is impressive too while his economy rate of 7.44 is flat-out brilliant.
#10 Stuart Broad
Stuart Broad possesses impressive numbers in T20I cricket. He has picked 100 wickets in 85 games conceding runs at just 7.19. Broad is in the twilight of his career and he may never feature in the IPL ever.
#11 Neil Wagner
Neil Wagner is one of the most dangerous fast bowlers in world cricket at present. Even though his T20I numbers aren’t special by any measures. But he can be more than a handful in IPL considering the wickets the tournament is played on.
