The Indian Premier League (IPL) has attempted to cover all bases throughout the huge country by forming teams and providing opportunity to players from all states. Players began their IPL careers by representing their home franchise after progressing via domestic circuits and team-organized tryouts.
Many cricket players have had the chance to play for their local IPL teams throughout their careers. Yet, there are some famous players who haven’t gotten this opportunity due to various reasons.
Before the first tournament in 2008, big-name players were assigned to their local teams. The goal was to attract fans from those areas. This strategy worked! A loyal fan base was built. Then, they rolled out a big auction, which has been the standard for over ten years.
With Dinesh Karthik’s departure from the IPL nearing, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will very definitely be his final franchise. As a result, despite representing Tamil Nadu throughout his domestic career, he will conclude his IPL career without having played for his hometown IPL team, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Let’s spotlight five famed cricketers. They never had a match with their hometown team in the IPL.
#1. Virat Kohli
The ex-captain of Team India Virat Kohli entered the first-ever IPL in 2008. This was just after Virat Kohli headed the U-19 World Cup in 2008 for India. A unique draw happened following the inaugural auction. It was for U-19 players. Here, cricket teams got to pick up young Virat Kohli.
The Delhi Daredevils (now the Delhi Capitals) had the option of choosing Virat Kohli, but they picked Pradeep Sangwan. After acquiring Virender Sehwag and AB de Villiers at auction, the franchise felt they didn’t need another hitter.
Virat Kohli was finally selected by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and has not swapped sides as of now. Based on the bond between the two parties and Virat Kohli’s allegiance to the team, it is likely that Virat Kohli will conclude his career with them, therefore eliminating the ace batter’s aspirations of representing his home franchise in the IPL.
#2. Dinesh Karthik
As previously stated, the veteran wicketkeeper’s IPL career will finish without playing for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The noteworthy truth is that the five-time winners were close to signing him in the 2022 mega-sale, competing with RCB at the auction table. CSK bid up to ₹5.25 crore before RCB won the auction.
Karthik is one of the few players who have appeared in every IPL season to date, representing six teams (Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils, Kings XI Punjab, Gujarat Lions, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Royal Challengers Bangalore) throughout the country, with the exception of his home state.
#3. Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh, one of the top spinners in the tournament, had a great deal of success, winning medals and guiding teams. However, he concluded his career without making a single appearance for his hometown IPL team.
The player spent the majority of his IPL career with the Mumbai Indians (MI), followed by brief stints with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders.
Following his retirement from the sport, the spinner said that he would have like to finish his career playing for his hometown side.
“I didn’t get the chance to play for the Punjab Kings. In the last 2-3 years of my career, I wanted to represent the Punjab Kings in the IPL and utilise what skills I had left for the benefit of the team,” Harbhajan Singh said while answering a question asked by a fan on Star Sports Star Cast.
#4. Jasprit Bumrah
The Mumbai Indians scouting squad discovered the wayward pacer during his early Baroda domestic career. Even after a decade, Bumrah has remained with the five-time winners, despite the fact that Gujarat has had two franchises during that time: the Gujarat Lions and the Gujarat Titans.
After established himself as a world-class bowler and one of the greatest in all forms, he has a tiny probability of leaving the franchise and returning to his home IPL club in the future.
#5. Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill was signed by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) shortly after his outstanding 2018 U-19 World Cup performance in New Zealand. After proving himself with the two-time champions, he moved on to the Gujarat Titans (GT), where he won the Orange Cap and was just named captain.
Shubman Gill has made over 100 IPL appearances for the aforementioned organizations, and a move to his native IPL franchise, the Punjab Kings (PBKS), is improbable in the near future.