The Indian Premier League started in 2008. The T20 format was in place a few years before that. Had the IPL begun a bit earlier, some of the other Indian cricketers could have had a crack in the tournament. Seeing the skillsets of the players now, these cricketers might have become extremely successful. On that note, here, we take a look at the list of three Indians who would have been top IPL cricketers had the tournament started in the early 2000s.
1) Javagal Srinath
Even for the 2003 ODI World Cup, he had to be brought back from retirement. He would have been in the final few years of his career but yet, he could have been a major success in the IPL.
Regarded as one of the best pacers India produced, the Mysore Express had pace, movement and could also hit the deck hard. He was a proper all-phase bowler and would have done well in the T20 format.
2) Ajay Jadeja
Ajay Jadeja is one of the Indians who would have been top IPL cricketers had the tournament started in the early 2000s. It was in the early 2000s that Ajay Jadeja last played for India. He was a part of 196 ODIs for the country and even captained the squad.
An all-rounder, Ajay Jadeja was also a fine fielder. He used to operate in the middle-order with some quick runs and also provide some overs of medium-pace if required. This profile would have just been perfect in an IPL XI.
3) Sunil Joshi
Sunil Joshi is also one of the players on this list. He was a top spinner and played quite a few games for Team India. At 38, he also played some matches for RCB in the initial seasons.
If the IPL started earlier, he would have surely been the leader of the spin attack of some team. A traditional left-arm spinner, Sunil was also a handy batter in the lower middle-order. Therefore, he is also on this list.
