From Saurabh Tiwary To Rahul Sharma, Revisiting Forgotten Stars Of IPL(Photo Credit –Instagram)
Advertisement
Fans are all pumped up as we’re just a day away from IPL 2025. Yes, after the blockbuster opening ceremony, the opening match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore will happen tomorrow night. Before the latest season begins, we are revisiting some unforgotten stars of the league who were once considered upcoming big players of Indian cricket.
Saurabh Tiwary
Saurabh Tiwary was introduced to the IPL in 2008 but got a chance to play in 2010. For Mumbai Indians, he made a smashing contribution of 419 runs (16 matches) in 2010. The left-handed batsman was awarded the Emerging Player of the Year in the same year. Due to his aggressive batting and appearance similar to that of MS Dhoni, he was called the left-handed Dhoni of Indian cricket.
After enjoying fame in 2010, Saurabh Tiwary failed to repeat his magic, and his performance kept dropping. Even in international cricket, he failed to make an impact. Last year, he retired from all forms of cricket. Visit his Instagram profile here.
In the Chennai Super Kings’ initial shining years, Subramaniam Badrinath made a significant contribution through his sensible batting. In 2010, he was promoted to the batting order, and that season, he scored an impressive 356 runs in 15 innings. The next season was much better; he scored 396 runs in 13 innings.
Known for stabilizing the early collapse, Badrinath earned a name for himself among cricket fans. Eventually, he got sidelined due to other players. In 2018, he retired from the game.
Paul Valthaty
Paul Valthaty was a right-handed, aggressive batsman who had the potential to shine bright but failed to make a lasting impact. He shot to fame with his fantastic run in the IPL 2011. While playing for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), he impressed everyone with his fearless batting. He made 120 off 63 balls in one match, helping the team defeat CSK.
Unfortunately, Paul Valthaty was injury-prone, and his career was cut short by a wrist and eye injury. He announced his retirement in 2023.
Manvinder Bisla
KKR lifted the IPL trophy for the first time in 2012, and Manvinder Bisla was responsible for this big win. In 2012’s final against CSK, he scored an impressive 89 off 48 balls during the chase when KKR was in a difficult situation. This earned Bisla massive fame. He performed well in that season by scoring 213 runs in 7 matches.
However, in 2013, Bisla failed to repeat the magic, and his form kept falling. Eventually, due to inconsistency, Bisla was sidelined and played his last match in 2015.
Rahul Sharma
The right-arm leg spinner was once considered a rising star bowler of Indian cricket. Due to his variations and accuracy, he shined in the IPL 2011. While playing for Pune, he picked up 16 wickets in 14 matches. He gained popularity and also made his place in the Indian cricket team. However, due to inconsistency and involvement in the rave party’s drug case, his career came to a standstill.
Stay tuned to Koimoi for more interesting IPL stories!
