The Indian Premier League (IPL) commenced its first season in 2008, and since then, there have been 15 seasons of the T20 event. The IPL has featured elite players from various countries competing for the championship title, and it has also served as a platform for nurturing upcoming talents.
Nonetheless, there were certain IPL players who displayed exceptional performance in a single season but were later forgotten as they could not repeat their success in subsequent seasons. These players, who were one-time wonders in the IPL, have now drifted into obscurity and are engaged in other vocations.
1. Manvinder Bisla
Manvinder Bisla was considered a reliable wicketkeeper-batsman in the Indian domestic cricket scene, having participated in 49 first-class matches and accumulating 2207 runs at an average of 30.23. In IPL 2012, Bisla played a crucial innings of 89 runs off 48 balls, which helped KKR win the tournament. However, his performance declined considerably after that game, and he gradually faded into obscurity. Currently, Bisla is a commentator.
2. Paul Valthaty
Paul Valthaty, who represented Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), played a bold and daring style of cricket, and he was able to dominate high-quality bowling attacks. In IPL 2011, Valthaty played in 14 matches and scored 463 runs at a strike rate of 136.98. However, Valthaty was unable to replicate this performance in subsequent seasons. He played only seven matches across the next two IPL editions, and he could only manage to score 36 runs. After observing his poor form, Punjab decided not to retain him after the 2013 season. Unfortunately, this marked the end of Paul’s journey in the lucrative T20 tournament.
3. Kamran Khan
Kamran Khan, nicknamed “Wild Thing” by Shane Warne, was one of the early Indian players in the IPL who was able to maintain a consistent speed of over 140km/h with his fiery pace. In his brief career, Kamran played only nine matches and took nine wickets. Unfortunately, his career took a downturn when a report emerged regarding his questionable bowling action, and he faded into obscurity. Currently, he participates in local tournaments.
4. Doug Bollinger
Doug Bollinger was exceptional in the third edition of the IPL. He played in eight matches for Chennai Super Kings and took 12 wickets while maintaining an impressive economy rate of 6.67. In the following season, the former Australian cricketer was at his peak and secured 17 wickets in 13 matches. His outstanding performances played a pivotal role in CSK winning the IPL title in both 2010 and 2011. Bollinger continued to take wickets in the 2012 season and collected eight scalps in six games, although he conceded runs at an economy rate of 8.72. Unfortunately, it is regrettable that a player of Doug’s caliber did not receive any further opportunities in the prestigious tournament.
5. Rahul Sharma
Rahul Sharma was considered a promising prospect in the Indian spin department when he first joined the IPL. However, his career trajectory took a sudden turn for the worse when Chris Gayle hit him for five sixes in an over. Additionally, his involvement with drugs had a negative impact on his cricketing career. Currently, Rahul is playing cricket at the inter-district level.
