Pakistan :

However, when the IPL kickstarted in 2008, it welcomed players from across the cricketing world, including Pakistan. They were allowed to play in the inaugural season of the IPL. But they were banned from participating in the tournament from the second edition following the 26/11 attack in Mumbai. Some of the legends in Pakistan cricket like Shoaib Malik, Shoaib Akhter, Misbah Ul Haq, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Salman Butt, Umar Gul and Sohail Tanveer took part in the IPL's first edition.

India and Pakistan haven't played a single bilateral game in the last decade due to the ongoing tensions on the border. In the recently concluded Champions Trophy 2025, India played all their matches in Dubai after the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) denied a visit to Pakistan. This happened only after both boards, along with the International Cricket Council (ICC), concluded that Pakistan would play at a neutral venue when India will host the 2026 T20 World Cup.

The inaugural season saw left-arm pacer Sohail Tanvir script history as the first—and to date, the only—Pakistani cricketer to win the prestigious Purple Cap, awarded to the leading wicket-taker of the tournament. His left-arm unorthodox pace and ability played an instrumental role in guiding the Shane Warne-led Rajasthan Royals’ title-winning campaign.

In the 17 years since Tanvir’s triumph, no other Pakistani player has had the opportunity to replicate his feat, despite former Pakistan player Azhar Mahmood taking part in the tournament till 2015. Due to political tensions and the stands of both countries' cricket boards, it is highly unlikely that another player from the country will be able to win the Purple Cap in the foreseeable future. Tanvir’s record, therefore, stands not just as an achievement but as a reminder of an era that may never return.

Tanvir picked up a total of 22 wickets in just 11 games at an average of 12.09 and at the economy of 6.46, which included a five-for and a four-wicket haul. His figures of 14/6 was the best spell by a bowler in IPL history for nearly 11 years. His record was broken by West Indies' pacer Alzari Joseph with figures of 12/6 on his IPL debut against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2019.

Read More : 

Fact Check: High On Ganja, Students Fight In Tamil Nadu? No, Video Is From Puducherry