It is no surprise that the Indian team is playing non-stop cricket. The T20 format was expected to be at the forefront as its the T20 World Cup year. India largely stuck to its core group of players playing the shortest format. They tried out a few young players on the tour to Ireland. But India’s T20 team largely comprised experienced players.
ODIs being the experimentation ground:
It was in the ODI format that many fringe players got an opportunity. The tour to West Indies and Zimbabwe was a step in that direction. As the World Cup squad sets on to tour Australia, there is the second-in-line squad that will take on South Africa in the ODIs. A few missing names from this squad have triggered a lot of speculation.
We look at 4 such unlucky players:
#4 Mohsin Khan
He was touted to be India’s answer to Mitchell Johnson. The tall left-arm seamer, Mohsin Khan impressed everyone in IPL 2022. He was one of the finds of the tournament. Khan showed ability in striking the ball at the back end.
There were many who felt he will soon be donning the India cap. The Australian pitches in the T20 World Cup would have helped his style of bowling. But in all the squads picked so far, Khan doesn’t seem to be in the scheme of things.
#3 Rahul Tewatia
He along with Dinesh Karthik are arguably two of India’s best finishers in the IPL. Rahul Tewatia had a dream season with the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2022. He was one of the architects behind their magical triumph. Tewatia should ideally have been picked in the T20 squad slowly grooming him for the World Cup. But clearly, the Indian team hasn’t shown enough faith in his abilities.
#2 Khaleel Ahmed
He represented the Indian team mainly in 2018. Khaleel Ahmed’s wicket-taking abilities always stood out despite him conceding runs. He narrowly missed out on playing in the ODI World Cup 2019. But post the World Cup, he hardly got a chance to play for the country. Ahmed since then has added quite a few yards of pace to his arsenal.
He was one of Delhi Capitals’ standout bowlers in IPL 2022. India could have given him a chance knowing his left-arm skill will bring in variety but they have steered clear of this conversation.
#1 Prithvi Shaw
Undoubtedly the most baffling omission remains Prithvi Shaw. He is one of the most destructive openers in list-A cricket. Shaw marries consistency with aggression. He puts on a show season after season in the IPL.
Shaw was at his brutal best even in the series against New Zealand-A. He is someone who has always played the game in an ultra-aggressive manner. Shaw’s game suits the Indian team who are hell-bent on playing positive cricket. But the only concern remains him being overlooked consistently.
