The Indian Premier League is probably the biggest platform for any cricketer in the world. It made its first appearance in the year 2008 and since then, it has taken the world by storm. A number of modern-day superstars gained recognition after tasting success in the IPL. For the Indian cricket team, it has given players like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, and many more superstars.
Not just for India, many overseas stars also gained popularity and made their comebacks on their respective international sides. Every season, a number of emerging players impress everyone with their skills. Some of them go on to play for their country, while others don’t. But does performing in an IPL season or scoring an IPL century guarantee a place in the national side? Let’s take it as the criteria for a debut for Team India.
Can Good IPL season earn an Indian Call-up?
Every season, many big players compete with each other to end the season on a high. The IPL is not just a competition between teams; it also provides a platform where you can compete against the best in the business. It is also a competition between the players. In the last 15 seasons of the IPL, there have been only six uncapped players who have hit an IPL century. Shaun Marsh was the first player to make an IPL hundred in 2008 against Kings XI Punjab (now the Punjab Kings).
The first Indian and uncapped player to hit an IPL hundred was Manish Pandey. He made 114 not out for RCB in 2009 against the Deccan Chargers. Paul Valthaty, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajath Patidar, and Yashasvi Jaiswal are the other players to score a century as uncapped players. But some of them—in fact, every Indian player—either did not play for India or played only a few games and then disappeared.
| Batter | Score | Team | Vs | Season |
| Shaun Marsh | 115 | Kings XI Punjab | Rajasthan Royals | 2008 |
| Manish Pandey | 114* | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Deccan Chargers | 2009 |
| Paul Valthaty | 120* | Kings XI Punjab | Chennai Super Kings | 2011 |
| Devdutt Padikkal | 101* | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Rajasthan Royals | 2021 |
| Rajat Patidar | 112/ | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Lucknow Super Giants | 2022 |
| Yashaswi Jaiswal | 124 | Rajasthan Royals | Mumbai Indians | 2023 |
So what is the reason that even an IPL century can’t earn you a spot in the Indian team? Well, one of the main reasons can be that whatever the Indian players have scored in IPL centuries, they mainly bat in the top order. And if we see the top order of the Indian men’s team, it is almost the same as in the last decade or so. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Shikhar Dhawan are some proven players who are still going strong.
Secondly, India has a big pool of backup players who are the first-choice replacements if the senior players miss or get injured. Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, and Deepak Hooda are some other players in the mix. Thus, it is almost impossible for a player to go through and sustain himself in the Indian team at the highest level.
Players who can earn a selection in Indian team
Well, it is very hard to tell, but there are some talented youngsters who can break through the ranks to prove their worth at the highest level. Suryakumar Yadav made his international debut in 2021 at the age of 30 after playing nine IPL seasons. Ajinkya Rahane, who was out of the Indian test team, made his comeback after doing well for CSK in the IPL 2023.
Thus, it is also possible that performing consistently can help them play for India. The likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, and Rahul Tewatia need to work hard and give consistent performances to get noticed at the highest level. One or even two good seasons will not help them out.