5 Overseas Players You Didn't Know Played For These Franchises in IPL

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has attracted ample overseas players from their respective nations and not many have gone on to become a big hit in the truncated version of the game. The players with orthodox technique have failed to shine in the long run while the players who are best suited for T20 approach have fared well.

At times, even the best ones couldn’t bring the best out of themselves during the IPL. Some players always kept IPL as the second priority in order to extend their international career.

Let’s take a look at the 5 overseas players you didn’t know played for these respective franchises in the IPL.

1. Michael Klinger – Kochi Tuskers Kerala

Michael Klinger was perhaps the unluckiest Australian cricketer over the last 10 years or so. He was a big name in Australian domestic arena. He would have been an experienced player by now in the international circuit.

He played for Kochi Tuskers Kerala (now defunct IPL franchise) for the only season the team took part in the IPL, in 2011. The Kerala-based IPL franchise roped the 30-year-old Klinger for $75,000.

In his debut match, he got out for a single-digit score of 2 and ended up with a total of 73 runs from 4 games at a below-par average of 18.25. His personal best was 29 runs in the only season he played in the IPL.

2. Tatenda Taibu – Kolkata Knight Riders

Zimbabwe player Tatenda Taibu was roped in by Kolkata Knight Riders to play in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League. He has been one of the productive players for Zimbabwe.

KKR did have a star-studded line-up at that time and the former Zimbabwean wicket-keeper had to wait for a long time for an opportunity. But when he was given a chance, he failed to grab it in both hands. He scored just 31 runs in 3 games at a paltry average of 10.33.

Taibu was eventually excluded from the side in the wake of his poor performances and was never given another chance to play for any other IPL team.

3. Misbah-ul-Haq – Royal Challengers Bangalore

Misbah-ul-Haq shot to prominence after he sliced his blade to perfection in the inaugural World T20 which was held in South Africa in 2007. Royal Challengers Bangalore purchased his services and the former Pakistan skipper got the opportunity to play 8 games for the franchise.

He was one of the very few players in the side who perfected the art of hitting sixes. However, he failed as a player in the long run despite playing at a strike-rate of 144.44 as his below-par average of 16.71 sabotaged his overall performance.

However, RCB was far from being impressive in the season as they finished 7th on the points table. Sadly, Misbah-ul-Haq’s debut season was his last season due to the political tensions between India and Pakistan. No Pakistani players were allowed to play the world premiere tournament.

4. Michael Clarke- Pune Warriors India

Pune Warriors India (now defunct IPL franchise) had a key player to their arsenal and that is Michael Clarke. The latter was a significant player for his national cricket team. He always prioritised international career over the domestic career.

However, he turned up the heat in the IPL in just one season. The former Australian captain represented Pune Warriors India in 2012. In the 6 games he had played for the team, he hardly made an impact in the shorter format, scoring 98 runs at an average of 16.33.

Giving priority to national duties, he never returned back to play IPL. However, he made a return to the cash-rich league as a commentator post his retirement.

5. Andrew Flintoff – Chennai Super Kings

Andrew Flintoff was one of the profile all-rounders in the world in his time. He was best suited for the truncated version of the game. His ability to strike the balls with brute force and his potential to take wickets helped him create a massive impact in whichever team he had played for.

The all-rounder was roped in by Chennai Super Kings at the IPL 2009 auction. Just as when everyone thought that he would create an instant impact, it was not the kind of journey he had expected. The former England all-rounder could garner 62 runs in the 3 matches he plied his trade for CSK. He hardly made an impact with the ball as he took 2 wickets at an expensive economy rate of 9.55 runs per over.

After the horrific stint with CSK, Flintoff flew to England to undergo knee surgery. He then went on to represent other teams in different T20 leagues across the world but he did not come back to play the lucrative IPL. He also went on to call his stint at the IPL a mere waste of time.

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