Indian exclusions from ODI World Cups: The ODI cricket especially in the last 4-5 years has centred around the World Cups. All the preparation in the ODI format is done as part of the World Cup. Teams start identifying a pool of players from whom they narrow it down to the final 15. The rule of having only 15 members per team often leaves the selectors with difficult questions to answer. India has faced this issue across several World Cups. It not only leaves the player in question disappointed but also the fans are found fuming.
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We look at a few such famous Indian exclusions from ODI World Cups:
#4 VVS Laxman – 2003
He is part of the (not so) elite list of cricketers to have played over 100 Tests but not played a single World Cup game. VVS Laxman was part of the ODI setup in 1998. He batted mainly in the middle order during the 98-99 period. But he did not find a spot in India’s World Cup squad in 1999. Laxman wasn’t that popular a name back then. But it was his exclusion in the 2003 World Cup that raised eyebrows.
He was one of India’s best batters across conditions. Laxman might not have set the ODI records on fire prior to the 2003 World Cup. But he was a better bet than a couple of other names that got selected to the squad in that edition.
#3 Mohammad Kaif – 2007
His exclusion from the 2007 World Cup squad didn’t create as much furore as it did for others on the list. But Mohammad Kaif was one player who should have been part of the World Cup squad. To be fair to the selectors, they didn’t make him part of their plan quite early in the World Cup year. Kaif’s contribution leading until that point proved to be futile. His international career was as good as over-post this omission.
#2 Rohit Sharma – 2011
He was touted as a generational talent quite early in his career. But Rohit Sharma wasn’t consistent in his initial cricketing years. He was provided ample opportunities to cement his place in the squad but he failed to do so. His entry into international cricket also coincided with India’s golden generation of ODI batting. The likes of Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, and Suresh Raina had grabbed their chances adding to the batting might. Sharma though was ignored and India went in with three spinners which back then was probably a surplus!
#1 Ambati Rayudu – 2019
There are very few Indian players who average 47 in ODI cricket after having played over 50 games. Ambati Rayudu is part of that coveted list. He announced his arrival through junior cricket back in 2002. But it wasn’t until 2013 that Rayudu made his international debut. He scored 3 centuries one each in 2014, 2015, and 2018. Rayudu playing for CSK in 2018 had a stellar season scoring over 600 runs at a tremendous average and a brilliant strike rate. It helped him stage a comeback into the national side. Rayudu was earmarked for the number four spot.
He gave up on red-ball cricket to focus primarily on his ODI batting. But after a mediocre run of just 3 games before the World Cup, Rayudu was unceremoniously dropped from India’s ODI squad. India stuttering at 5-3 in the semi-finals against New Zealand terribly missed Rayudu. It was for this reason that he was asked to prepare himself and sadly he wasn’t picked for this battle!
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