5 Indian players who played the 2023 T20I series vs Sri Lanka but are nowhere near the squad now ft. Umran Malik, Harshal Patel
India will soon visit Sri Lanka for a three-match T20I series. The BCCI announced the Indian squad for the T20I series last night (July 18), with Suryakumar Yadav being named as the new skipper of the team. Shubman Gill will be his deputy in this format.
It is pertinent to note that Gill made his T20I debut in the previous bilateral T20I series between India and Sri Lanka, which happened in early 2023. Hardik Pandya captained the Men in Blue in that series, where India won by 2-1.
Although just a year and a half has passed since that series, a lot has changed in Indian cricket. The following five names, who were in the Indian squad for the last T20I series against Sri Lanka, are nowhere near the team now.
#1 Umran Malik
When Umran Malik won the Emerging Player of the Season award in IPL 2022, it seemed like he was the next big thing in Indian cricket. The team management gave him multiple opportunities as well, but Malik failed to cement his place in the team.
The express fast bowler played eight T20Is, scalping 11 wickets at an expensive economy rate of 10.49. His last T20I appearance came against New Zealand on February 1, 2023.
#2 Harshal Patel
It is rare to see the Purple Cap winner of the latest IPL season to not be picked even in the second-string Indian T20I squad. However, the same has happened with Harshal Patel, who scalped the most wickets in IPL 2024.
Patel's last T20I appearance for India came in that series against Sri Lanka only. He bowled a spell of 2/41 in four overs in a T20I hosted by Wankhede Stadium.
#3 Rahul Tripathi
The selectors added Rahul Tripathi to the T20I team in 2023 because of his 'intent' in the shortest format of the game. Tripathi made his T20I debut against Sri Lanka in Pune, and he played five T20Is in the next four weeks, scoring 97 runs at a strike rate of 144.78.
Despite a fantastic 44 in his previous T20I appearance for India against New Zealand, Tripathi was dropped from the squad. Like Harshal Patel, even Tripathi could not make it to the second-string team sent to Zimbabwe earlier this month.
#4 Deepak Hooda
After his excellent century against Ireland in 2022, Deepak Hooda was touted to be the next number three batter of India in T20Is. Unfortunately, Hooda could not continue performing in the same vein.
Hooda played 21 T20Is, scoring 368 runs and picking up six wickets. Like Rahul Tripathi, the T20I series against New Zealand in 2023 proved to be his last.
#5 Shivam Mavi
Shivam Mavi surprisingly made his T20I debut in the previous series between India and Sri Lanka. The fast bowler justified his selection with a four-wicket haul on debut at the Wankhede Stadium.
The team management gave him five more matches, where he managed only three wickets. Post the T20I series against New Zealand, even Mavi lost his place in the squad and has not returned since then.