Over the years, quite a few players have been able to establish their loyalty to specific IPL teams, having been associated with the franchises for a number of seasons. Others have switched bases from season to season, often playing brief roles in a team before making a change.
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Below are a few players, who have been in the IPL for a number of years, but you may not exactly remember their earliest IPL franchises.
Yuzvendra Chahal – Mumbai Indians (2011-2013)
The leg-spinner was signed up by Mumbai Indians in 2011, and played just one IPL game for the side in 2013 against Kolkata Knight Riders when he finished with 0-34. However, he was a regular member of the 2011 Champions League team, representing Mumbai Indians in six games, ending with three wickets and an economy rate of 6.76.
Chahal was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2014 player auction and was associated with the team till 2021 before he moved to Rajasthan Royals in 2022.
Andre Russell – Delhi Daredevils (2012-2013)
The Delhi franchise is infamous for releasing a number of big stars over the years, including the likes of AB de Villiers, Kevin Pietersen and Morne Morkel. The franchise also had Russell with them in 2012, with the team purchasing the player following stellar showings in the Caribbean T20 league and the Bangladesh Premier League.
However, Russell only batted in two innings in 2012 for Delhi – scoring 31 (15) and 16 (11) – and made 4 and 7 the next year, before he was released. He has been with Kolkata Knight Riders since.
Trent Boult – Sunrisers Hyderabad (2015-2016)
The Kiwi quick first played in the IPL in 2015, turning out for Hyderabad in his first two seasons of the league. Boult picked up nine wickets in seven games in 2015, but only got one wicket from his solitary game the following year.
The left-armer has continued moving teams, switching from Kolkata Knight Riders in 2017 and then Delhi Capitals in 2018 and 2019. Boult played for Mumbai Indians in the next two seasons and is currently turning out for Rajasthan Royals.
Tim Southee – Chennai Super Kings (2011)
Southee was initially unsold during the 2011 IPL player auction, but a stellar World Cup, where he picked up 18 wickets in eight innings, saw him being signed up by the defending champions Chennai Super Kings. On debut, the quick conceded only six runs in his final over against Kolkata Knight Riders, defending nine runs, as his team won by two runs.
It was the only game Southee played for the next three seasons, before being signed up by Rajasthan for 2014 and 2015. He has also played for Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore and is currently with KKR.
Eoin Morgan – Royal Challengers Bangalore (2010)
Morgan became the only England player to be picked in the 2010 IPL auction, when he was purchased by RCB for USD 220,000. The left-hander, who switched from Ireland to England in 2009, played six games for RCB in his maiden season but was unable to set the stage on fire, scoring 35 runs at a strike rate of 116.66.
He was released by the team the following year and was snapped up by Kolkata Knight Riders. Morgan also played for Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) before ending his IPL career with KKR in 2021.
KL Rahul – Sunrisers Hyderabad (2014-2015)
Rahul started his IPL career in 2013 with RCB, scoring 20 runs in five games, before being released by the franchise. He was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for the next two seasons, but was unable to create an impact in either year, ending with 166 runs in 2014 and 142 runs the following season.
He switched back to RCB in 2016, and it was the start of his second coming, as he made 401 runs, which catapulted him towards fame. Rahul has since become a consistent run-scorer in the league and is captaining Lucknow Super Giants in 2023.
