BCCI on June 10 announced a limited-overs squad for the tour to Sri Lanka. Shikhar Dhawan will be the captain of the ship and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be his deputy. It is for the first that two Indian teams will be playing across countries in parallel. let’s discuss Indian players who are unlucky to miss Sri Lanka tour.
The new-look India squad has 6 uncapped players. Rahul Dravid, the coach has insisted that every player part of the 20-man squad will get to play a game. It is interesting to note that despite these many players coming to the fore, a few of the noteworthy performers haven’t gotten a break.
Indian players who are unlucky to miss Sri Lanka tour
#5 Rahul Tewatia
Rahul Tewatia is one of those rare Indian players who can tonk the ball cleanly lower down the order. He isn’t expensive when it comes to bowling the tough overs in T20 cricket. Tewatia is a street-smart cricketer who would have enjoyed playing in Sri Lanka. The fact that Tewatia was part of the India squad for the series against England but yet was not considered for this tour raises a lot of questions.
#4 Harshal Patel
Harshal Patel had a memorable IPL 2021. He was outstanding in all games except for the one against CSK. Patel picked up 17 wickets in 7 matches. He holds the purple cap at this point. Patel would have loved bowling on the sluggish wickets of Sri Lanka. The series might have helped him present his case for the upcoming T20 World Cup too. But credit to the selectors for not getting carried away with a single spectacular IPL season.
#3 Jaydev Unadkat
Jaydev Unadkat is one seamer who keeps hitting the headlines for no fault of his. He is often mocked for his IPL Auction price. It is something that isn’t even under his control. Unadkat had a stellar IPL 2017 where he finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in the league. He made his entry into the Indian T20 team on the basis of that performance. Unadkat even won the ‘Man of the Series’ award against Sri Lanka in 2017. But his India career has fallen by the wayside since then. This tour could have been his redemption. But he might have to fight for it some other day.
#2 Ravi Bishnoi
Ravi Bishnoi was one of the finds of India’s U-19 campaign in 2020. He bamboozled oppositions with his skill and guile. Bishnoi singlehandedly kept India’s hopes alive in the finals. He graduated seamlessly to IPL cricket. Bishnoi was fearless and took the game head-on. His googly was difficult to pick for even the best of the batsmen. This tour could have been an ideal breeding ground for him.
#1 Siddharth Kaul
Siddharth Kaul will consider him mighty unlucky to have not been picked in the team. Kaul has been a domestic workhorse over the years and has proven himself time and again. He boasts of a fine record in T20I’s too. Kaul had done fairly well when he was picked to play for India in 2018. He surely deserved a spot in the squad.
Also read: Kuldeep Yadav Believes He Will Be Selected For The T20 World Cup In 2021
