5 Cricketers who faded away from IPL

The Indian Premier League has been a breeding ground for global icons, but it's also created and destroyed some heroes. The IPL requires explosive effect, monster sixes, killer Yorkers, and match‑winning strategies. When auctions introduce new talents at a lesser price, yesterday's sweetheart can turn into today's forgotten prospect. These are five talents who lit up the IPL platform once before fading back into oblivion.

1. Unmukt Chand

In 2012, Unmukt Chand held aloft the U‑19 World Cup trophy as captain of India, making a memorable 111* in the final. Sky-high expectations greeted him when he was drafted by the Delhi Daredevils in 2016. But failing to find consistency and managing only 144 runs from 11 matches, he went unsold in the 2017 auction. Since then, Chand has yo-yoed between Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, his IPL hopes reduced to nostalgic highlight reels. He then got to play for the Mumbai Indians too, but he was unable to translate his promise into performances and soon became one of the forgotten names.

2. Shivil Kaushik

When Gujarat Lions picked up Shivil Kaushik in 2016 for ₹2.4 crore, social media was abuzz with his action as a slinger and googlies. He made huge headlines during IPL 2016 with his 'frog-like' action that drew comparisons with the South African spinner Paul Adams. He repaid supporters with 4 wickets in 7 games, very decent, but not sufficient to be given a second contract. Kaushik remained unsold in later auctions, and when the novelty wore off, Shivil too disappeared into oblivion. The glare of IPL lights faded into memory.

3. Saurabh Tiwary

Saurabh Tiwary was an important contributor to the Mumbai Indians' (MI) run to the finals in the 2010 IPL. Amassing 419 runs with three fifties in 16 matches at a good strike rate of 135.59, he emerged as the second-highest run-getter for his team. His masterful batting performance also earned him the opportunity to make his ODI debut for India. But his batting statistics during the season were abysmal.

After playing for Delhi Capitals (2014-15) and Rising Pune Supergiant (2016), he came back to MI in 2017, but his miserable spell with the bat didn't cease. In 2022, he went unsold at the 2022 mega auction.

4. Manvinder Bisla

Kolkata Knight Riders' 2012 hero wicketkeeper Manvinder Bisla emerged with that legendary 89-off-48 in the IPL final, but he never quite followed it up. Following his 2012 stint as the star of KKR, Bisla found runs hard to come by in 2013 and 2014, and he was left unsold at the end of the 2015 auction. A "see‑ball, hit‑ball" type of cricketer, he saw his form vanish under scrutiny, and despite a short domestic resurgence, franchises overlooked him. His tale indicates how one defying moment does not always translate into an enduring IPL career

5. Manpreet Gony

In 2008, Manpreet Gony made headlines for his dramatic show for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Wearing the yellow jersey, the medium pacer claimed 17 wickets from 16 matches at an economy of 7.38. Seeing these good numbers of the bowler, selectors provided him with a platform to play for the national team in the 2008 Asia Cup. He was given an opportunity to feature in a couple of matches but failed to make a strong enough impression to be selected again.

After the first IPL edition, his performance hit rock bottom. He still played for CSK in the second and third IPL seasons, but this time he seemed out of form. In 2017, he last played for the Gujarat Lions (GL) in the T20 tournament.

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