Indian Premier League is widely accepted as the mega carnival of cricket. Players from several countries represent different IPL franchises in the league. Many players dream of playing in the carnival of cricket and train themselves throughout the year for a chance in the game. Many players especially from associate nations dream to play in the mega event. However, only a few have found success in getting a contract in the league. Let us take a look at five players from associate nations who managed to live their dreams and managed to get a contract in IPL:
Dirk Nannes:
Dirk Nannes won his first IPL contract in 2009. The scouts in Delhi Daredevils unearthed him from the various European leagues where he was traumatizing the batsmen through his threatening pace. Nannes who represented the Netherlands in International cricket was the first player from the associate nation to make a place in IPL. Nannes also proved particularly impressive in IPL in various stints. He also represented Chennai Super Kings where he became to go-to bowler for Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the death overs. Nannes ended his IPL career with 29 wickets and left a legacy on the tournament.
Sandip Lamicchhane:
Delhi Capitals surprised everyone when they bought a completely unknown entity in the 2018 Mega Auctions of IPL. The entity was an unknown in Sandip Lamichhane who had never played any competitive cricket before in his life. However, the Nepal lad shocked everyone with his exceptional bowling. The 17-year shortly became an important cog in Capital’s machinery. Lamichhane has represented Delhi Capitals nine times in the duration of two seasons. He has 13 wickets under his belt and is considered as a bowler with a bright future.
Roelof Van Der Merwe:
Roelof Van Der Merwe is one of the few players who have represented two countries in International cricket. Van Der Merwe who is representing Netherlands since 2015 first built a name for himself in IPL while representing Royal Challengers Bangalore. He also played for Delhi Daredevils. Often used as a pinch hitter along with a spin bowler, Van Der Merwe 159 runs in 21 IPL games. He also has 21 wickets under his belt.
Ryan Ten Doeschate:
The Netherlands international is a legend in the county cricket. However, most of his popular cricket has come while representing Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL. The player joined the franchise in 2011 and was part of two title-winning campaigns. A useful lower-order batsman, Doeschate won several games single-handedly. He represented the franchise in 29 games scoring 326 runs at a strike rate of 138.72. He also has two wickets under his belt.
Chirag Suri:
The 25-year old made his international debut in 2018 for UAE. He is known for his explosive batting and caught the eyes of scout while playing in the European league. Suri was signed by Gujarat Lions in 2017. Though, he did not represent the Lions he did impress the coaches in the practice sessions.
