3 players who might have played their last ODI innings for India
The Indian team management announced the 15-man squad for the upcoming 3-match ODI series against the West Indies. Some underperformers like Dinesh Karthik got the sack while younger players like Shreyas Iyer got the nod from the Indian selectors who would be looking to build a team for the 2023 World Cup.
One of the exclusions from the team was that of wicket-keeper batsman M.S Dhoni who opted out of the tour to spend some time with the armed forces. Some fans are speculating that we might have seen the last of Dhoni in ODIs while others still want the Indian legend to carry on playing ODIs. Dhoni may or may not feature for India again but there are some players who may have played their last ODI for India. Let us look at the three names that may never represent India again in the one day format.
#3 Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik made waves with his power-hitting in the Nidahas Trophy final against Bangladesh. Unfortunately, that has been his only notable contribution to the Indian team in the past year. He has gotten some starts but has failed to convert them into big scores. After failing to cement the number 4 spot in the Indian ODI team, Karthik was tried in the finisher’s role as well but came up short once again.
He got two opportunities at the World Cup in England but couldn’t cross the 10-run mark on both the occasions. The fact of the matter is that Karthik’s game is more suited for T20s as compared to ODIs. He gets bogged down in the middle overs and fails to rotate the strike in ODIs.
Having squandered plenty of opportunities, the 34-year old is unlikely to be in India’s scheme of things for the 2023 World Cup as India is likely to invest in younger players like Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey.