The first season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was held in 2008. There were several Pakistani players who were initially part of the tournament, but due to political tensions between India and Pakistan, they were eventually not allowed to participate.
The following are the Pakistani players who were initially part of various IPL teams in 2008:
- Shoaib Akhtar – Kolkata Knight Riders
- Mohammad Asif – Delhi Daredevils
- Mohammad Hafeez – Kolkata Knight Riders
- Salman Butt – Kolkata Knight Riders
- Umar Gul – Kolkata Knight Riders
- Sohail Tanvir – Rajasthan Royals
However, all of these players were eventually not allowed to participate in the IPL due to political tensions between India and Pakistan. The decision was made by the Indian government, and the players were not granted visas to enter India.
The IPL 2008 was the inaugural season of the tournament, and the Purple Cap was won by Sohail Tanvir, who played for the Rajasthan Royals. Tanvir took a total of 22 wickets in 11 matches during the tournament, with an average of 12.09 and an economy rate of 6.46.
