The Aaron Finch paradox: IPL's biggest journeyman and Australia's T20 World Cup hero

Aaron Finch [Source: @KKRiders, @satisfyingcric/x]

Aaron Finch has long been one of cricket’s most recognizable T20 faces from Australia, a blistering left-handed opener with a penchant of terrorising even the best of bowling attacks at his fearsome best. A veteran of over 250 internationals, decorated by a couple of World Cups, including one as a captain, he remains one of Australia’s most accomplished modern white-ball performers even after nearly three years since he announced his international retirement.

However, Aaron Finch’s reputation follows a very different arc in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the world’s most celebrated, competitive and lucrative T20 league. For starters, the legendary former Australian opener holds a rather embarrassing label for someone who has dominated international cricket during his Australian years – that of being the tournament’s ‘biggest journeyman’.

A player miscast by nearly every IPL franchise, Finch never truly found a permanent home before drifting from one setup to another in search of the role that suited him best. Here, we explore the layers behind Aaron Finch’s unusual IPL journey.

A career of constant moves: Aaron Finch’s IPL odyssey

Aaron Finch made his IPL debut back in the 2010 edition of the tournament after he was acquired by the Rajasthan Royals franchise. He received just one crack in the playing XI in the entire season, and scored a run-a-ball 21.

Finch appeared for the Delhi Capitals the following season, albeit this time with an Australian cap to his name. The cricketer played eight games for the Capitals over the span of two seasons of 2011 and 2012, before shifting to Pune Warriors India for IPL 2013 where he enjoyed his first breakthrough IPL season, playing all 14 games and scoring 456 runs at an average of nearly 33.

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Despite an impressive season, Aaron Finch had to shift to Sunrisers Hyderabad, albeit for just one season in 2014. By 2015, the cricketer became a ‘Mumbai Indian’, and even lifted the title under the leadership of Rohit Sharma but had little role to play since he received just three playing XI gigs.

He spent 2016 and 2017 season with the Gujarat Lions, 2018 with Punjab Kings, and 2021 and 2022 with RCB and KKR respectively before drawing curtains on his career. All in all, Aaron Finch played just 92 IPL games, spread across 11 different seasons spanning nine different franchises, a record that underscores how little stability he ever found.

Aaron Finch IPL journey

In the end, the IPL trail of Aaron Finch reads less like a career arc and more like a map, marked by constant stops but very little settling.

Australia’s T20 titan: The side of Aaron Finch the IPL never saw

Away from the constant movement of the IPL, Aaron Finch’s international story in T20Is ran on far firmer ground. The cricketer played over 100 matches for Australia since his debut in January 2011 until his farewell game in October 2022.

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Six years after lifting the 2015 ICC Men’s World Cup at home, the legendary opener led his nation to 2021 Men’s T20 World Cup glory in the UAE.

As a player, the belligerent ball-striker minted 3,120 runs in 103 innings at a surreal strike rate of 142.53, smearing 19 half-centuries and two huge hundreds. Notably, each of those centuries shattered some huge records, considering the two innings also stand as two of the three highest individual scores in T20I history.

Aaron Finch T20I stats for Australia

Together, these contrasting paths underline why Aaron Finch remains one of T20 cricket’s most fascinating case studies, a global star who shone brightest outside the IPL. Finch may never have found a permanent IPL home, but the legendary opener carved out a legacy in international cricket that the league never managed to capture.

In the end, his story remains a reminder that greatness and true impact often lie far beyond the boundaries of franchise cricket.

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