The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the biggest cricket tournament on the planet and it is the dream of every budding cricketer to be a part of the competition. The principal reasons behind that dream are the popularity of the league, the brands involved and the money involved. Several young and unknown players have become immortal because of their match-winning performances in the league.
Be it Paul Valthaty’s hundred for Kings XI Punjab or Aditya Tare’s last-ball six that dumped Rajasthan Royals out of IPL 2014, the youngsters have etched their names in the history of the tournament. Besides, there have been several players who have made it big in the league, achieving success with multiple franchises. To play a single IPL final is the biggest wish of every player but there have been 2 players in cricket history who have represented 3 different franchises in IPL finals.
The following are the 2 elite individuals –
Yusuf Pathan – (2008 – RR, 2012, 2014 – KKR, 2018 – SRH)
One of the most experienced players of the game, Yusuf Pathan started his IPL career with the Rajasthan Royals in 2008. The hard-hitting all-rounder from Baroda played a massive role in the team’s title triumph in season one. He took the team to the finale with some game-changing knocks while he starred for them in the final with a half-century in the second innings.
Four years later, he won another IPL trophy with the Kolkata Knight Riders however, he could score only a solitary run in the final besides, he even gave away 17 runs in the only over he bowled against Chennai Super Kings. In 2014, Yusuf brought his experience to the fore with a magnificent knock against Kings XI Punjab where he hit four sixes and helped Kolkata win the championship.
Two years ago, he achieved a unique feat by playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final. This time, his team could not win the IPL final versus Chennai however, Pathan gave his best and scored 45 runs off 25 balls.
Shane Watson – (2008 – RR, 2016 – RCB, 2018, 2019 – CSK)
Just like Yusuf Pathan, Shane Watson played his first final for the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2008. He was the ‘Player of the Series’ in 2008 because of his incredible all-round performances. Watson played a pivotal role in helping the Royals win their first championship. It took eight years for the Australian to play another final.
He was a part of another royal franchise as he turned up for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2016. Unfortunately, his disappointing performance led to the team’s defeat in the final. Ben Cutting smacked him in the slog overs as the right-arm fast bowler gave away 61 runs in his 4 overs. He even failed to impress in the batting unit.
Two years later, he represented Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2018 final and scored a match-winning century for them. He became the first overseas batsman to hit a hundred in the IPL final. In 2019, he once again featured in the IPL final for Chennai Super Kings but his valiant knock could not win the match for his team as Mumbai Indians won the title by 1 run.
