05 Players who went from Rags to Riches Players in IPL History
Money makes the world go round! Rightly so, India’s biggest and world’s one of the largest leagues – IPL is known to have turned the fortunes of aspiring cricketers into household names, making them Richie-rich overnight.
The franchises shell out hefty sums to lock in their secretly eyed talent at the auction, and one spectacular performance is sufficient for the local stars to become the talk of the town. Many known cricketers come from well-established backgrounds, but selective budding stars had to overcome deep financial constraints and socio-economic stress before securing their maiden IPL contract.
Ahead of the 18th edition of the IPL, slated to commence from March third week tentatively, let us look at some of the heartwarming rags-to-riches stories who have chartered their way over the course of IPL seasons, to inspire millions of people with their humble backgrounds.
- Rinku Singh: Born and raised in a working-class family, Rinku Singh lived in a small quarter provided by his father’s cylinder company. Despite being repeatedly told by his father to secure a job to support the family, Singh chose instead to focus on cricket instead. After making his debut in 2016, Singh was signed by the Kings XI Punjab for INR 1 crore before being picked by the Knight Riders the following season for INR 8,00,000, eight times the price.
- Yashasvi Jaiswal: The shining star in the current Indian squad, his young batting sensation has witnessed ample hardships in life already. He migrated to Mumbai to pursue his cricket dream and used to work at a food-stall to support himself. After turning heads at the U-19 Cricket World Cup, Jaiswal was bought by the Rajasthan Royals for INR 2.40 Crores, during the 2020 IPL Auction, making his debut for the franchise a few months later.
- T Natarajan: His is a story of rags to riches in true sense, and is quite inspiring to understand. The southpaw’s journey has been nothing short of remarkable. Born in a poor family, his is a family of five siblings. His journey up the cricketing ladder has been slow and steady. Post his resounding success in the TNPL 2017 edition, Natarajan was picked by Kings XI Punjab for INR 3 Crore, and subsequently by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2018 edition.
- Pandya Brothers: The hotshot brothers, known for their extravagant lifestyle today, had to struggle once upon a time, to make their ends meet. They have seen adverse conditions and grew up seeing monetary crunch situations at home. Hardik & Krunal both were picked in 2015 and 2016 by Mumbai Indians, for INR 10 Lakhs and INR 2 Cr respectively. However, as of the 2025 IPL season, Hardik was retained by MI for INR 16.35 Cr.
- Mohammed Siraj: The son of an auto-rickshaw driver, he overcame extreme financial difficulties to become a superstar of modern-day cricket. Siraj grew up in Hyderabad and worked in a catering company performing odd jobs. His story is not just reflective of the cricketing stardom, but one of faith and undying resilience. He was picked by Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2017 for a staggering INR 2.6 Cr.
These athletes have had an inspirational ride and overcame obstacles to achieve their unwavering dreams to claim the mantle of greatness.
