Reverse IPL Journey: India Call-Up Before Debut
A handful of cricketers earned India selection through domestic cricket before ever playing in the IPL.
While the IPL is often the fast track to the Indian team, a few players have taken the reverse route. They received their maiden India call-up based on domestic performances, yet never played an IPL match—or even made their India debut.
Among them is Gujarat opener Priyank Panchal, called up as a standby for the 2021 Test series against England and later as injury cover for South Africa. He never got a game. In 2022, Punjab Kings picked him in the IPL, but again he warmed the bench. He retired in 2025 without an IPL or India debut.
Another case is Abhimanyu Easwaran, whose domestic consistency earned him multiple Test squad call-ups since 2021. He was a backup wicketkeeper behind Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel. He entered the IPL 2026 auction but went unsold. Easwaran thus remains among the unluckiest, having received India recognition but never playing a match for country or franchise.