5 players you didn't know were once a part of Rajasthan Royals

The inaugural champions of Indian Premier League, Rajasthan Royals, had an admirable season this year. They were never the favorites at the commencement of the competition but did manage to astound their critics by qualifying for the playoffs, leaving behind Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Daredevils.

After the 2008 triumph, the side has always been a shadow of their former selves as they never managed to reach the finals again and took 5 long years to even qualify for the playoffs in 2013.

Over the years, the team has seen some of the most celebrated personalities including the likes of Shane Warne, Rahul Dravid and Shane Watson. However, there are some players who did not enjoy a memorable spell for the Jaipur side.

So without further ado, let us take a look at 5 cricketers who were once a part of Rajasthan Royals.

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#5 Kamran Akmal

Kamran Akmal is an experienced Pakistani cricketer who presently plays in Pakistan Super League for Peshawar Zalmi. The wicket-keeper batsman has represented the country in 53 Tests, 157 ODIs and 58 T20I.

He plied his trade in IPL for the first and the last time in 2008 when he helped Rajasthan Royals clinch their only trophy in the competition. The right-handed batsman scored 128 runs in 6 matches with an average of 25.6 and a strike rate of 164.1.

Akmal also performed the wicket-keeping duties for his side, managing 5 catches and 6 stumpings during his stint. In the final against the Chennai Super Kings, he took two catches in the first innings but was not of much help in the Royal's chase as he got run out for only six runs.

#4 Aaron Finch

Aaron Finch

Aaron Finch became the first player in IPL history to play for seven different franchises this year. The Australian cricketer has also featured in Big Bash League and a number of other domestic cricket leagues.

The hard-hitting batsman began his IPL journey with Rajasthan Royals in 2010. However, he had a majorly unmemorable spell for The Blues as he could only feature in one match throughout the season. He only managed to score 21 runs in that match against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Finch was bought by Delhi Daredevils in the 2011 IPL Player Auction where he played two seasons before moving to Pune Warriors India in the 2013 edition.

#3 Jacob Oram

Jacob Oram

Jacob Oram represented the Blackcaps for a decade, during which he played 33 Tests, 16 ODIs and 36 T20Is. The former Kiwi all-rounder began his IPL career with Chennai Super Kings in 2008, where he played for two seasons.

In 2011, he was signed by Rajasthan Royals as a replacement for the injured Paul Collingwood for $250,000. However, he had an appalling season for the team, managing only 2 appearances. He only bowled 12 balls that season, managing 1 wicket in the process.

In 2013 auctions, Oram was bought by Mumbai Indians for $50,000, where he won the IPL title.

#2 Mohammad Kaif

Mohammed Kaif

Mohammad Kaif was a renowned Indian cricketer who represented the country in 13 Tests and 125 ODIs. He was widely regarded as one of the best fielders in the Indian cricket team because of his commendable athletic skills.

The right-handed batsman made his debut in the Indian Premier League in 2008 while playing for Rajasthan Royals. Although the team managed to win the competition, Kaif underwent an unsuccessful season for his part. He only notched up 176 runs in 16 matches with a shocking average of 16.00 and a strike rate of 102.92.

In the wake of his poor run, he was axed by the team management in 2009. Kaif was bought by Kings XI Punjab in the third edition of IPL for a whopping Rs 1.5 crore.

#1 Damien Martyn

Damien Martyn

The former Australian cricketer was well-known for his classic batting style. Although Damien Martyn had hung up his boots in 2006, he continued playing domestic cricket.

The right-handed batsman made his IPL debut for Rajasthan Royals in 2010. However, the Australian could only feature in one match against Royal Challengers Bangalore in which he scored 19 runs off 24 balls. He was then headed home after being excluded from a trimmed Rajasthan Royals squad, achieving a rare feat of making only one appearance in IPL.

Rajasthan Royals had bought Martyn for $100,000 but were forced to axe him due to their poor form in the early stage of the season. The Australian never made any other appearance in the competition.