We have already looked at players who've hopped around the most teams in the Indian T20 League but there are also those at the other end of the loyalty spectrum who've stuck with one organisation for their entire tenure in the league.
We look at five players who formed such a strong bond with their squad that leaving was never an option:
Virat Kohli
As Virat Kohli's star soared in the past decade, the one constant has been that one could always count on was seeing him don the Bangalore kit when it was time for the Indian T20 League. Part of the squad since its inaugural season in 2008, Kohli went from being appointed as vice-captain to captain but just as with the World Cup, he is yet to see his boys through to the title. Regardless, he is usually one to watch with the bat, having racked up a series-high 5545 runs.
Shane Warne
Shane Warne, one of the greatest leg-spinners the cricketing world has ever witnessed, captained Rajasthan in its inaugural season in 2008. Although the squad had been written off by one and all that year, Warne and his boys went on to win that first edition of the Indian T20 League! Certainly, the leg-spinner plied his craft to maximum effect and brought out the best from his squad and continued to lead Rajasthan in the subsequent seasons before finally calling it quits in 2011.
Sunil Narine
Although Sunil Narine has not been able to shine too brightly in international cricket, he certainly made up for it in the Indian T20 League, where he has stuck with Kolkata since joining them in 2012. The West Indies mystery spinner was a key cog in the machinery that won the Gautam Gambhir-led Kolkata the title in 2012 and 2014. He also stood out, not just for his wizardry with the ball, but also for his zany hairstyle and in recent years, has impressed with the bat as well.
Shaun Marsh
After being picked by Punjab in the inaugural season, neither the team nor Shaun Marsh ever had second thoughts. The left-handed batsman made his intentions clear right off the bat and had an Orange Cap at the end of the season to show for his efforts, which served him well on the international front as well. Marsh finally called it quits after 2017, having racked up 2477 runs with Punjab.
Kieron Pollard
With four titles under their belt, Mumbai lead the series in terms of championships won, and one of the key ingredients of the foundation that supported them during all that glory has been Kieron Pollard. The stocky Trinidadian has been with the squad since 2010 and continues to give the opposition fits whenever he comes out on to the field. Despite a disappointing season in 2018, Mumbai stuck by the all-rounder and he has returned to form since then and is proving his worth again in the ongoing 2020 edition.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Indranil Mukherjee
