3 Indian players who deserve a longer run during the Nidahas Trophy

South Africa v India - T20 International — Many of the main stars have been rested for the Nidahas Trophy

After losing the first two Tests of South Africa tour, the Indian team bounced back in great style winning the third Test on a very challenging wicket at the Wanderers.

The momentum they got with the victory was carried forward during the ODI series as the Virat Kohli- led side completely annihilated the hosts with a 5-1 scoreline.

India also won the T20I series that followed by a margin of 2-1 thereby emerging as the better side if the overall tour is taken into consideration.

During the limited-overs leg of the tour, Indian skipper Virat Kohli seemed hesitant to make changes to the playing XI.

Even in the inconsequential final ODI, India made just one change playing Shardul Thakur in place of Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Though the team should always be looking to be ruthless and go for victory, it would have been better had the reserves got an opportunity to show their mettle on the foreign tour.

Now, with the seniors rested for the Nidahas Trophy in Sri Lanka, the selectors have rewarded the domestic and India A performers. However, there are a few players who have been a part of the squad for a considerable time and waiting for regular opportunities.

Here is a list of such players who deserve a longer run in the playing XI before including the newcomers.

#1 KL Rahul

India Training Session — KL Rahul has a great record in T20I format

KL Rahul was a front-runner to partner Rohit Sharma during the Champions Trophy before a shoulder injury during the Test series against Australia ruled him out of action for a considerable time.

Shikhar Dhawan then displayed a great consistency and re-established himself as a part of the first choice opening pair.

When Rahul was back to fitness before the Sri Lanka series, he was termed as ‘too good a player to sit out’ and made to bat in the middle order. He could not score big and fell to Akila Dananjaya in all the ODIs.

The Karnataka batsman was thus out of contention for a spot in the ODI team since, but, got an opportunity during the T20I series against Sri Lanka in India when Shikhar Dhawan was rested.

Rahul performed splendidly slamming a couple of fifties, but, was left out again with the management preferring left-right combination of Shikhar-Rohit against South Africa.

Rahul is a good player in the T20 format and is ranked eighth in the T20I batting rankings, the only Indian apart from Kohli in the Top-10. Further, he is among the three Indians to have scored a hundred in the format and must get a longer run in the upcoming series.