5 prominent Indian cricketers who aren’t part of Australia ODIs, Asian Games, & World Cup ft. Sanju Samson
Team India have a busy schedule coming up. They play Australia in a three-match ODI series, starting on September 22 before competing in the 2023 Asian Games and the ICC ODI World Cup.
The Men in Blue have named two different squads for the 2023 Asian Games and the World Cup. The management also picked up a young squad for the first two ODIs against Australia. The big guns will return for the third ODI against the Aussies.
This has enabled the selectors to give many young players an exposure to play for the country. While the stars will be busy representing the nation in the World Cup, a young side led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, will look to win gold at the continental meet in China.
Despite that, a few prominent cricketers haven't managed to break in any of these teams.
On that note, let's take a look at five cricketers who aren’t part of Australia ODIs, Asian Games, and World Cup.
#1 Sanju Samson
The wicketkeeper-batter from Kerala is perhaps the most unlucky cricketer to be not part of any of the sides. Despite boasting decent numbers, Sanju Samson hasn't managed to get a long rope in the Indian team.
The right-handed batter averages over 55 in ODIs, scoring 390 runs in 12 innings, including three half-centuries. Despite that, he has featured in only two 50-overs games for India this year.
Sanju has also fared decently in the shortest format, scoring 374 runs in 21 innings. He played a decent knock of 40 runs in his last game for the country against Ireland.
Sanju was among the reserve players in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2023 but didn't get a game. He will look to take his game a notch higher to return to the national fold.
#2 Yuzvendra Chahal
Senior leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has surprisingly not been included in any of the three squads.
Once touted as one of the best leg-spinners in the world, he played a significant role in the 2019 World Cup in England, picking up 12 wickets.
Chahal has fallen down the pecking order since then and was not considered for either of the squads. He has played only two ODIs this year and the think tank has preferred Kuldeep Yadav as the first-choice option alongside all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
The Haryana-born cricketer was also not picked up for the Asia Cup 2023. Explaining the rationale behind his exclusion at that time, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said that the composition of the side was such that only a single wrist-spinner could be included.
While Yuzvendra Chahal's exclusion from the World Cup seems justified, his absence from the 2023 Asian Games comes as a big surprise for fans.
#3 Shikhar Dhawan
The senior opener has been India's best batter in ICC events in the last decade. Shikhar Dhawan has scored plenty of runs in multi-nation competitions and stood tall in big matches.
With the emergence of young players, Dhawan has fallen down in the pecking order. His last international game came in December 2022 against Bangladesh.
The left-handed batter had a good campaign in the last calendar year, scoring 688 runs in 22 games, including six half-centuries. Surprisingly, he was left out of the side since the turn of the year and Shubman Gill's rise in ODI cricket.
It pains to see that Dhawan is not being considered in any of the three squads and probably his international career is running out of fuel.
#4 Umran Malik
The Jammu and Kashmir-born pacer came up the ranks after a stupendous campaign in IPL 2022, where he picked up 22 wickets from 14 games and shocked batters with his express pace. With 157 kmph, 155.6 kmph, and 154.8 kmph, Umran Malik had three of the five fastest deliveries bowled in IPL 2022 to his name.
He was immediately drafted into the Indian team and played 10 ODIs and eight T20Is. While he is erratic with his line and length, Umran's strength lies in pace.
However, he hasn't been really given a long rope by the management to excel at the highest level. With fringe players considered for the Asian Games 2023, it really comes as a surprise to not see him in the squad, given that he was once considered the future of the Indian pace attack.
#5 Deepak Chahar
Team India have lacked genuine pace bowlers who can bat, leaving the side with a long tail. This has been one of the main reasons behind the Men in Blue failing to succeed in the multi-nation events.
While Hardilk Pandya has been nurtured carefully due to his injury concerns, Shadul Thakur's lack of consistency has left the side wanting more. Amid this, Deepak Chahar's name not being considered comes as a massive surprise.
Chahar is a genuine swing bowler, who is a threat to any batter with the new ball. His stock has also gone higher as a death-over bowler, which makes him a handy option. Besides, Chahar is also very handy with the bat and has batted in the top order for his state side.
Hence, Deepak Chahar is one of the prominent cricketers who have failed to make the cut in the three Indian squads for the upcoming assignments.