The Indian Premier League, or IPL for short, has been the most prestigious T20 tournament that cricket has. It attracts the bests from every corner of the world. However, surprisingly, several cricketing legends have never played in this coveted league. While some such Top Cricketers Who Never Played in the IPL chose to concentrate more on international cricket, others, despite achieving remarkable things in their respective careers, remained unsold in the auction pool. Top Cricketers Who Never Played in the IPL Player Name Country Notable Achievement James Anderson England 700+ Test wickets Stuart Broad England 600+ Test wickets Alastair Cook England 12,472 Test runs Mushfiqur Rahim Bangladesh 7500+ international runs James Vince England Multiple T20 league success Reeza Hendricks South Africa 2100+ T20I runs Detailed analysis of the Top Cricketers Who Never Played in the IPL James Anderson Image Source : Getty Images One of the greatest absentees to the IPL in cricketing history is the "King of Swing." With over 700 Test wickets, it's a no-brainer that Anderson has it figured out with red-ball cricket. Even with good T20 credentials -18 wickets in 19 T20Is at a very impressive economy rate of 7.85 - Anderson never forayed into the IPL circles. And, no doubt, his preference for Test cricket has helped him last longer; even at 41, he's still terrorizing batsmen. Also Read | Highest Individual Score in IPL History: Batting Brilliant Exhibitions Stuart Broad Image Source : Getty Images Interestingly, Broad's link with the IPL is still incongruous. He had joined hands with Kings XI Punjab way back in 2011, but paradoxically, played no match at all. At a time when he has featured in 56 T20Is and taken 65 wickets, it is strange that Broad does not have a role in participating actively in the IPL. If fast-bowling Austin and Anderson could have complemented at Tests, it was only a matter of time before they could have automatically adjusted to such climatic conditions also in the IPL. Alastair Cook Image Source : AFP A sportsman with 12,472 runs in 162 Tests, England's most prolific Test batsman, Cook's exclusion from the IPL meant he didn't find a spot in the tournament despite having experience in just 4 T20Is. Though technically sound and being one of the world's best Test leaders, Cook probably didn't fit into T20 cricket's explosive demands. Mushfiqur Rahim Image Source : Associated Press Bangladesh wicket-keeper batsman, who was always a proud performer in international cricket, has failed to impress the IPL. He featured frequently in the auction pool but was never sold. It seems all the more surprising considering his record in T20Is: 102 matches and a strike rate of 115.03 could have tilted the balance for franchises. However, the experience along with his wicketkeeping skills could have given impetus to several teams. James Vince Image Source : Getty Images What is more surprising is that the elegant English batsman in IPL has been absent, and yet, Vince was very successful in T20 leagues almost in all countries of this world. His classical technique blended well with the modernity of T20 adaptability, and yet, he faces a closed door to IPL for this talented stroke maker. Reeza Hendricks Arguably the most bewildering member of Top Cricketers Who Never Played in the IPL is South Africa's Hendricks. With such brilliant numbers – 2146 runs in 76 T20 innings, with a strike rate of 129.90 – it is quite inexplicable why he hasn't played in the IPL yet. The fact that he could conserve consistency for the Proteas proves that he can indeed do well when the pressure is applied in high-pressure T20 cricket. The Impact of Missing the IPL The absence of these players on the IPL platform throws up a plethora of questions regarding cricket's future landscape. While the IPL remains atop the pile in terms of commercial offerings, these players have gifted themselves lucrative careers in it. These are stories that prove that while the IPL has offered an incredible playing field, it is certainly not the only path to cricketing glory. For few, it has ensured that they set a record in Test cricket. Others, such as Mushfiqur Rahim and Reeza Hendricks, have continued playing international cricket even though they missed the opportunity to get into the IPL. The careers of these players remind us of how Top Cricketers Who Never Played in the IPL can also achieve extraordinary success in cricket. Also Read | Top 10 Highest Partnerships in IPL History: Breaking Cricket's Duos Conclusion This list of Top Cricketers Who Never Played in the IPL does include some of the game's most successful performers. Their decisions, based on personal preference, time constraints, or circumstances, have not served to reduce their contributions to the game. As the IPL continues to grow, one can indeed look at the stories of these cricketers for a reminder that greatness can indeed be achieved in cricket through different avenues. Their success elsewhere than in the IPL shows the beautiful richness of human nature through cricket, wherein glory is not defined by qualification for one competition, be it merely that of an elite one. Their lives, and indeed the legends that will come after them with cricketing genes passed down, will serve as inspirations to everyone else as well, a reminder that, above all, greatness in cricket is not contained within just one competition.