- Paul Valthaty:
The fluent right-hander had an incredible breakthrough season in 2011, when he opened the batting for the Kings XI Punjab and ended the tournament as the sixth highest run scorer. He grabbed headlines when he crashed an unbeaten 120 against CSK off just 63 balls, an innings which prompted speculation over his national team future. Unfortunately, he scored only 30 runs in 6 matches the next season, and disappeared from the scene soon afterward. He is now playing for Air India, his current employers.
- Swapnil Asnodkar:
Asnodkar was one of the key players in the Rajasthan Royals’ unlikely victory in the first edition of the IPL all the way back in 2008. He impressed captain Shane Warne with his enterprising strokeplay and competitive streak. However, Asnodkar featured in only 11 more IPL games after that first season, hitting only a little more than a 100 runs. He disappeared from the radar after the 2011 season, not even featuring in Goa domestic squads.
- Pradeep Sangwan:
Truly promising Indian pace bowlers are few and far between. When a 17-year-old Pradeep Sangwan roared into domestic cricket with 33 wickets at an average of 19.2 in the Ranji Trophy, he was quickly earmarked for future glory. The IPL came calling, and he showed his talent with 15 wickets from 13 matches in 2009. However, his career has spiraled since, as he only played 3 IPL games in three yars before testing positive for a prohibited steroid in 2013. His career was effectively finished.
- Manpreet Gony:
The barrel-shouldered Gony was MS Dhoni’s clutch bowler in the 2008 season, taking 17 wickets at an impressive economy rate. He also showcased capable lower-order hitting ability. His exploits led to a national team call-up against Hong Kong and Bangladesh, but injuries and poor form plagued his career since, and he hasn’t featured in the IPL since 2013.
- Saurabh Tiwary:
Saurabh Tiwary’s Ranchi roots, long hair, and power hitting evoked immediate comparisons to MS Dhoni. Tiwary dominated for the Mumbai Indian in their middle order in the 2010 season, thrashing 419 runs. His performances won him an ODI cap and an auction price of USD 1.6 million in 2011, but his performances have declined since and he has found himself out of favor.
