A name that many may not recall has been a part of IPL since 2008
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the world's most competitive domestic T20 tournaments. Therefore, it is incredibly hard for a player from 2008, the inaugural season, to appear in the upcoming season, i.e., the 18th season.
As a matter of fact, from 2008, only nine players (Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, Manish Pandey, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Ishant Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, and Ravichandran Ashwin) will feature in the upcoming season. And while eight out of nine names are famous, Swapnil Singh's name is a shocker.
A handful of hardcore cricket fans, or Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans, may remember his name, given that he was part of Bengaluru's six consecutive victories last season, which helped the team qualify for the playoffs.
Singh, a spin-bowling all-rounder, has been part of the IPL since 2008, when he was picked up by the Mumbai Indians but was never seen on the pitch.
If you search the internet for Singh's whereabouts, not much is found, given that he warmed the bench for Mumbai Indians for several years without a debut. However, in 2016, because of his breakthrough performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), he received a contract from Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings).
His first wicket in the IPL? None other than the Mahendra Singh Dhoni, as if it was all written in the stars. However, the spark quickly fizzled out, and Singh was out of the team.
In 2023, Singh was acquired by Lucknow Super Giants but played only two matches and went wicketless. By the end of the season, he was again out of the team.
During the 2024 auction, RCB purchased Swapnil in the last round of the auction, which left him emotional. Speaking to RCB Bold Diaries, Swapnil revealed, "The day of the IPL auction I was travelling to Dharamsala for a game. It was around 7-8 pm after I landed. Nothing had happened by then, and the last rounds were on. When I missed out at first, I thought that's it. Frankly I thought it was all over."
Swapnil played a crucial role in all the seven games he played last season for Bengaluru. In seven matches, he picked six wickets while scoring 133 runs in 90 balls.
The 34-year-old will aim to perform even better in the upcoming season if he gets a chance. Who knows, maybe this season, RCB will lift the trophy, and Swapnil will cement his place in IPL history as one of RCB's stars.
Last but not least, here's a look at Swapnil's overall career statistics:
