The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed the squads for the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh and a multi-format assignment against New Zealand in the upcoming months. From naming Hardik Pandya as a captain for the T20I series to dropping Shubman Gill for the ODI series – the squad list is full of both surprise inclusions and baffling omissions.
Umran Malik will return to action, and he will be joined by another promising pacer Kuldeep Sen. Washington Sundar is again back in the mix for the T20s, while Mohammed Siraj couldn’t crack the place on the ODI side, despite being India’s best bowler in this format in 2022.
These might be considered a routine affair, as the deep talent pool means not all players can play all formats. But the continuous overlooking of some of the most consistent performers in the domestic circuit has raised many eyebrows. We take a look at players who were unlucky to miss out on the Indian squad.
Prithvi Shaw
Prithvi Shaw’s consistency in the domestic circuit is unparalleled. He has been raking up runs at every level, in every format, and his incredible strike rate in limited-over makes him the most destructive batter in the country. Despite that, he continues to be on the sideline, while many batters with inferior statistics to him have got a chance. Shaw expressed his frustration on Instagram, where he posted a picture Sai Baba and wrote, “Hope you are watching everything Sai Baba.”
Sarfaraz Khan
In the 2019/20 season of the Ranji Trophy, Sarfaraz Khan amassed 928 runs at an astounding average of 154. He carried his form in the next edition, scoring 982 runs at an average of 122, including two fifties and four centuries. His first-class average of 80.42 is the best in this country, and second only to Don Bradman in the world.
Umesh Yadav
When Mohammed Shami was ruled out of South Africa series due to COVID-19, the board announced Umesh Yadav as his replacement. Yadav didn’t disappoint, despite not playing T20 since 2019. But he is again dropped from the team for the limited-over tour to New Zealand. Umesh wasn’t pleased with this decision, and wrote, “May be you can fool me but God is watching you mind that.”
Ravi Bishnoi
Ravi Bishnoi was a part of India’s squad for the Asia Cup, and also made his ODI debut against South Africa later on. He is currently one of the three standing reserves for the T20 World Cup 2022, but his name is nowhere to be found in either ODI or T20 squad for the series against New Zealand. “Comeback is always stronger than a setback,” Bishnoi posted.
Ruturaj Gaikwad
Ruturaj Gaikwad has been a constant presence in the ODI squad, but got his only opportunity only last month, against South Africa. Meanwhile, Gaikwad has been a consistent performer for Maharasthra, averaging 53.5 in his List A career. His T20 record is not bad either.
Mohammed Shami
Between this year and last’s year T20 World Cup, Mohammed Shami hasn’t played a single match in this format. He is in Australia only because India’s frontline pacer Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out due to a back stress fracture. Shami has been brilliant in the ongoing World Cup, but he is still dropped from the T20I series against New Zealand.
Hanuma Vihari
Hanuma Vihari failed to break into the Test squad for the series against Bangladesh. Vihari has a decent record even after playing most of his matches in foreign conditions. India keeps ignoring him for the home series, where Vihari could have easily increased his average.
Lead Image: BCCI/Twitter
