12 Australians who first played IPL before representing their country

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has proved to be a launch pad for many young cricketers aspiring for higher honours.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has proved to be a launch pad for many young cricketers aspiring for higher honours. Nishad Pai Vaidya picks a list of Australian players who first appeared in the IPL before going on to represent Australia. 

 

1:  Aaron Finch

Aaron Finch played for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2010, under the leadership of Shane Warne. In 2011, he was picked for the Australian T20 side and made his international debut. However, he only found his feet in international cricket in 2013, when he cemented his place in the Australian one-day units. Meanwhile, he played for the Delhi Daredevils and also captained Pune Warriors India in 2013.

  

2:  James Faulkner

James Faulkner has been one of the biggest success stories for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. Before he found a permanent spot in Rajasthan, he shuttled from Pune Warriors India to Kings XI Punjab. In 2011, he played for Pune. It was only the next year that he played for Australia.

  

3:  Rob Quiney

A combative left-hander, Rob Quiney was picked by Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals in 2009. He did not have a very successful time and was then forgotten by the IPL franchises. In 2012, he made his Test debut for Australia against the touring South Africans.

  

4:  Shaun Marsh

In the inaugural season of the IPL, Kings XI Punjab picked the unknown Shaun Marsh. Known as Geoff Marsh’s son until then, it was his chance to shine as he won the Orange Cap. A few weeks after the IPL, he made his One-Day International (ODI) debut for Australia.

  

5:  Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell was picked by the Delhi Daredevils in 2012 and featured in a few games. He was picked based on his exploits in Australian domestic cricket. Maxwell made his ODI debut later that year and has been in Australia’s scheme of things ever since. He has also been a star in the IPL, shining for the Kings XI Punjab. But, perhaps the world first took notice of him when Mumbai Indians picked him for USD 1 million in 2013.

  

6:  Dirk Nannes

Dirk Nannes was picked by the Delhi Daredevils in 2009. And, to the surprise of many, he kept the great Glenn McGrath out of the side. Keeping faith with Nannes paid dividends for Delhi as he emerged as one of their success stories that year. His international career has been a curious one though. He played for the Netherlands in the ICC World T20 soon after the IPL 2009. And then later that year, he was picked for Australia.

  

7:  Matthew Wade

The left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman made his IPL debut in 2010 for the Delhi Daredevils. Later that year, Australia handed him a one-day call-up as they searched for a back-up for Brad Haddin. Wade also held on to the Test spot for a year from 2012-2013. Since then, he has remained Haddin’s understudy.

  

8:  Ben Dunk

Ben Dunk was picked by the Mumbai Indians thanks to his consistent run in the Big Bash League (BBL) 2013-14. He played a few games for Mumbai before Michael Hussey and Lendl Simmons cemented their spots at the top. Later that year, Dunk scored a double in List A cricket and was picked for the T20 series against South Africa, where he made his international debut.

  

9:  George Bailey

The smiling assassin’s talent was recognised by the Chennai Super Kings when he was picked by then in 2009. Bailey though only made a few appearances for them in the IPL. In 2012, he captained Australia on T20 international debut and has since been a very good one-day player for them. In the IPL, he leads the Kings XI Punjab and has won many admirers thanks to his smiling face.

 

 10:  Chris Lynn

Chris Lynn has made quite an impression in Australian domestic cricket. He was picked by the Deccan Chargers and made an appearance for them in 2012. This was almost two years before he played for Australia in T20 internationals. Lynn is best remembered for his magnificent catch of AB de Villiers during the IPL 2014.

  

11:  Brett Geeves

Brett Geeves played a few games for the Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2008. He followed that up with a few appearances for Australia in one-day cricket.

 

 12:  Mitchell Marsh

Mitchell Marsh made a name for himself in the ICC under-19 World Cup 2010 and was then called up by the Deccan Chargers in IPL 2010. The following year, he was picked by the Pune Warriors India. In 2011, he walked in his father Geoff Marsh and brother Shaun Marsh footsteps when he made his one-day debut for Australia. Today, he is a part of their plans in all formats.

 

(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and anchor for the site’s YouTube Channel. His Twitter handle is @nishad_45. The above article was first published in CricketCountry)

 

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