IPL 2022: Virat Kohli, the Indian batsman, has a legitimate claim to being the greatest batter in modern cricket. Kohli has remained a force to be reckoned with, scoring over 22,000 runs in his international career since making his debut in August 2008.
Kohli is also third on the list of international cricketers with the most centuries, with 70 tonnes to his name. The 33-year-old batsman debuted for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 2008 edition of the Indian Premier League and has been a key member of the team ever since.
Here’s a list of 5 players you might not know were once Virat Kohli’s teammates in IPL
1. Andrew McDonald (2012)
Andrew McDonald, the current Australian coach, was a member of the RCB franchise in 2012. During the 2012 IPL trading window, the all-rounder was traded from Delhi Daredevils to RCB. The 40-year-old batted for the franchise in four games, scoring 47 runs with a strike rate of above 150.
In his ten overs of bowling that season, the right-arm medium pacer got five wickets. The all-rounder only played one match for RCB in 2013 before being dropped. McDonald later worked as a bowling coach for the franchise in 2016 alongside Bharat Arun, and after Arun left the camp in 2017, he was given primary responsibility for guiding RCB bowlers.
McDonald’s international career was brief, as he only played four Test matches for Australia, scoring 107 runs at an average of 21.4, with the top score of 68. The right-arm bowler grabbed nine wickets for a 2.46 economy rate.
2. Nic Maddinson (2014)
In 2014, RCB was represented by Australian destructive hitter Nic Maddinson. The left-handed batter appeared in two games for the team, opening the innings in both occasions. While playing for the red army, Maddinson, on the other hand, failed terribly to expose his real colours.
The 30-year-old scored just 16 runs in two matches, with a strike rate of 95.24. He was dropped from the starting XI after failing to impress. Later in the tournament, the left-handed batter was forced to fly out due to an injury, allowing South African batter Rilee Rossouw to take his place.
Maddinson is a household name in the United States. However, the 30-year-old was unable to compete at the national level. The hitter has only played six Twenty20 Internationals for Australia, scoring 45 runs at an average of 11.25. He does, however, have a respectable strike rate of 128.57.
3. Eoin Morgan (2010)
Eoin Morgan, the England white-ball captain, was a member of the RCB franchise in 2010, and he was given a few games. However, the left-handed batter was unable to repay the confidence put in him, scoring only 35 runs in six games.
Because they have multiple other foreign possibilities in their roster, RCB cannot be criticised for not giving him more chances. Morgan had a successful tenure with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), leading the team to the final match of the IPL 2021.
The 35-year-old captain of England’s World Cup-winning squad has established himself as one of the most destructive batters in the game. Morgan has a strike rate of 135.7 in T20Is, with an average of over 30, proving that he can contribute to whichever club he plays for.
4. Travis Head (2016)
Travis Head, an Australian left-handed hitter, was purchased by RCB for INR 50 lakh at the IPL 2016 auction. The 28-year-old made his Virat Kohli debut against the Mumbai Indians, the defending champions at the time. RCB also kept the left-handed batsman for the tenth season of the IPL in 2017.
Head appeared in 10 games for the franchise, taking two wickets and scoring 205 runs at a strike rate of 138.51, with a high of 75. Despite his strong performance, the 28-year-old is still without an IPL deal following his two-year spell with Royal Challengers Bangalore.
In terms of his international career, Head has appeared in 82 games for Australia, representing the country in all three versions of the game. A total of 3,102 runs have been scored by the left-handed batter. Head has amassed a total of 18 fifties and five centuries.
5. Dirk Nannes (2011)
Dirk Nannes, a left-arm pacer, is one of the few players to have represented both Australia and the Netherlands at the international level. The RCB paid $650,000 for Nannes, who was known for his crisp lines, in the 2011 IPL auction.
Nannes, on the other hand, only got to play in one game for the team before suffering a side strain and missing the rest of the season. Chris Gayle, a West Indian batter who went unsold in the 2011 auction, was brought in to replace the left-handed pacer. Nannes bowled four overs for the franchise, picking up two wickets and allowing 31 runs.
In terms of his international career, the 45-year-old earned a reputation for bowling ferocious stints in the Australian domestic setup before representing his country in the 2010 T20 World Cup. The left-arm bowler has appeared in 17 T20I matches and has taken 28 wickets at an average of 16.39.
See More: RCB Captain IPL 2022
