IPL helps you to be in shop window always: Brathwaite

Bengaluru, October 14: As the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 action is going on in the UAE, one player who is missing all the action and drama is West Indies all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite, who is more of a forgotten man these days.

None of the eight IPL franchises picked him in the auction held in December, 2019, but the reasons were quite obvious.

The Barbados-born all-rounder had plied his trade with Sunrisers Hyderabad as well as Kolkata Knight Riders in the past. But with dismal returns of 181 runs and 13 wickets from 16 IPL matches, nobody was ready to take a gamble on the Bajan.

Was treated like Chris Gayle in India after 2016 World T20 triumph: Brathwaite

The 32-year-old is often remembered for the four consecutive sixes he hit of England's Ben Stokes in the 2016 International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup final in Kolkata, India, which ensured that the West Indies became the first side to win two world T20 titles.

Commentator and former West Indies bowler Ian Bishop then belted out 'remember the name' when Brathwaite sealed a stunning victory, having needed 19 off the final over bowled by current Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Stokes and it later became very much part of the cricket lore.

His only other notable contribution in international cricket was a fighting century in a losing cause against New Zealand at Manchester, England, in the 50-over ICC Cricket World Cup last year.

While regretting the fact that he could not really make much of an impact in his short IPL career, Brathwaite said a good performance these days in the cash-rich T20 league, which is one of the most popular in the world, always helps players to make it big in the market stakes.

"It's cricket at the end of the day, and as a professional you're always in the shop window and you need to be seen on the basis of your performances," Brathwaite said in Dubai during an interaction with local press on the Abu Dhabi T10 League Media Day.

When none of the franchises picked him in the IPL auction last year, Brathwaite had said, "Hopefully I'll be in the IPL in some capacity, maybe replacement player or in commentary".

But for the time being, Brathwaite still remains out of the IPL carnival, though Bishop's 'remember the name' shout-out still reverberates all over our ears.