IPL is the top T20 league in the world right now, with cricketers from different parts of the world dreaming to play in the competition one day. One of the main reasons behind it is that the Indian Premier League franchises pay the highest amounts to the cricketers. The salary is the highest, and the workload is not that much of a first-class tournament or a List-A competition.
Over the years, many cricketers have earned big contracts from the Indian Premier League franchises and went from rags to riches in their lives. However, some of the cricketers have also prioritized their nation’s domestic cricket or their own international careers over the Indian Premier League.
In this listicle now, we will look at the two players who rejected Indian Premier League contracts to play in domestic cricket tournaments of their own country.
1. Kusal Perera rejected Sunrisers Hyderabad’s offer in IPL 2018
Sri Lankan wicket-keeper batter Kusal Perera has not had a memorable career in the Indian Premier League. He initially played for the Rajasthan Royals. Ahead of the 2018 season, Sunrisers Hyderabad approached him as a replacement for David Warner, who was serving a suspension.
Perera reportedly rejected the offer because he wanted to play in a domestic first-class tournament. At that time, Perera wished to perform well for Sri Lanka across all three formats of the game.
2. Saqib Mahmood
England fast bowler Saqib Mahmood was approached by an unnamed franchise to join them as a replacement in the Indian Premier League last year. However, Mahmood did not show any interest in the deal because he wanted to play county cricket. Mahmood is yet to make his debut in the league.
“I turned down an IPL offer just to be here playing for Lancashire and try to push my red-ball credentials. I got an offer while we were out in the Caribbean and it was a decision I had to make,” said Mahmood.
