There have been many young Indian talents who had the potential to become all-time greats. They had everything going for them. Be it natural ability, skillset, or age, they had it all. But only a few of these players could take the leap to greatness.

There have been many stars who fell off the wayside. They had what it takes but faltered to move to the next level. The reasons varied from temperament to opportunities to fortune, but all that it did was take them away from the pinnacle of success.

We look at 5 such Indian players whose careers went wrong:

#5 Praveen Kumar

He was the quintessential swing bowler. Praveen Kumar hailed from Meerut, UP. A town from where Bhuvneshwar Kumar belongs as well. Praveen was a bigger exponent of swing than Bhuvneshwar. He had the masterly ability to swing the ball both ways. Kumar made his mark in the 2008 CB series in Australia. He even won the player of the match award in the historic series win for the country. 

Kumar had a terrific series against England in Tests in 2011. He was a fine lower-order batsman too. Kumar could have been the bowling allrounder India so dearly needed. But anger issues and temperament cut short his promising career.

#4 Ajay Jadeja

He was one of the poster boys of Indian cricket in the 90s. Ajay Jadeja was a cool personality even before cool became a thing. Jadeja was a multi-dimensional cricketer. He batted in the middle order possessing fine finishing skills. Jadeja was a handy medium pacer. He was an excellent fielder. 

Jadeja forged strong combinations with Mohammad Azharuddin and Robin Singh. He even got to captain the ODI side in 13 games. But his name cropped up in the match-fixing scandal in the year 2000. Post which Jadeja never got a chance to play for the country again.

#3 Vinod Kambli

The most heartbreaking image of Vinod Kambli is the one where he sheds tears in the semi-final game against Sri Lanka in 1996. This picture could very well define the career of Vinod Kambli. He was touted to be more talented than Sachin Tendulkar when they played junior cricket. Kambli made a sensational debut scoring double centuries in his debut two Tests. 

He had all the makings of a superstar. But early success got to Kambli’s head. He couldn’t sustain the form he had showcased earlier. Kambli kept getting dropped frequently. He last played a game in 2000. His story was one of the biggest what-ifs in Indian cricket.

#2 Ambati Rayudu

He scored a fine 177 in a U-19 four-day Test against England in 2002. Ambati Rayudu was looked at as being the next batting icon of the country. He kept piling runs in the domestic circuit. Rayudu was chosen to captain the U-19 side in 2004. The team had the likes of Shikhar Dhawan and Dinesh Karthik in it. But Rayudu still couldn’t break into the national team. Fights with fellow players and state associations kept Rayudu away from selection. 

He joined the rebel league, Indian Cricket League (ICL) in 2007. It made him ineligible for the national team for a period of 3 years. Rayudu finally got to play for the Indian team in 2013. He was in and around the side for a period of 6 years. Rayudu unfortunately was dropped on the verge of the World Cup (2019). The omission made Rayudu quit the game altogether. India’s heartbreaking loss in the semifinal could be largely amounted to Rayudu’s non-selection. He was one Indian cricketer who probably deserved better.

#1 Irfan Pathan

There wasn’t a naturally gifted player as Irfan Pathan in the twenty-first century. Irfan Pathan’s arrival in Indian cricket raised the hopes of a fast bowling allrounder ala Kapil Dev. The early signs of his career did provide a glimpse of what is in store. Pathan remains the only Indian bowler to pick up a hattrick in the first over of the game across formats. He even played starring roles batting in at number 3. 

Pathan won the player of the match award in the T20 World Cup final in 2007. But Pathan never really got going despite the early promise he displayed. He wasn’t given a consistent run of games. Pathan could have finished as one of India’s all-time greats but it wasn’t meant to be.