Top 5 players who deserve a chance to play for India
An Indian cricket fan has been helplessly tired since June 2011, watching the same under-performing faces being tried in a cycle without positive results. The fielding of the team has been below par with the players’ fitness levels reaching new lows everyday. Many seniors in the side have been holding on to their places owing to their glorious past and not on account of their current form. It’s time fresh legs are brought into the side because there are players who have failed to favour the selectors, despite their good show in the domestic games.
A lot has been discussed about Ajinkya Rahane and Manoj Tiwary and almost everyone knows of their big-time misfortunes. And now leaving them aside, a glance at the top 5 players who really deserve a chance to be in the national side.
5. Abhinav Mukund
Abhinav Mukund made his debut in challenging conditions
Mukund was given a chance in 2011 for the overseas tours of West Indies and England in 2011, but he failed to capitalize on his chances and since then, has fallen out of the reckoning for the national team. A technically gifted batsman, the 23-year-old from Tamil Nadu has a strong Ranji record since his debut for the state team, and he could be given yet another opportunity to prove his calibre in the side. With regular openers Sehwag and Gambhir running out of form and fitness, he definitely has the ability to make it to the national side.
4. Sandeep Sharma
A bright young prospect
Talking about young legs to carry India’s fortunes in the near future, Sandeep Sharma really deserves a special mention in the list. A member of the successful U-19 World Cup winning squad, the medium-pacer has been lethal with the ball this Ranji season. Playing for the Punjab team, Sharma has accounted for 41 scalps from 8 games, with a strike rate of just over 40 and a healthy average of 18 with the ball. Considering the flat tracks laid in India’s premier domestic games, he will be knocking on the selectors’ door soon, provided he proves his consistency.
3. CM Gautam
The highest run-getter in Ranji Trophy this season, this wicket-keeper batsman from Karnataka might even serve as a back-up keeper to MSD when needed. More than the number of runs scored, the kind of situations which he has stepped in, may open up his chances of grabbing a spot in the inconsistent Indian middle order. Dinesh Karthik, Parthiv Patel and Wridhimman Saha have been given enough chances and it’s high time the selectors start to plan for life beyond/without Dhoni.
2. Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan might solve the opening trouble
With Sehwag unlikely to make it to the side in the near future, Shikhar Dhawan has a very good chance of donning the national colours. A naturally attacking player, Dhawan has almost made the most of his chances in high-profile matches, right from the Under-19 World Cup in 2003 to the IPL. The Delhi lad has not really been given ample opportunities at the international level to exhibit his talent. With players like Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja maintaining their consistency to fail despite being tried a lot, Dhawan could be given a go to add strength to the batting attack.
1. Shami Ahmed
A lot of his potential was explicitly clear from the only ODI he played against Pakistan. Debuting in a key encounter with the cross-border rivals, the 22-year-old showed no signs of nerve, as he bowled a very stringent spell at the start to trouble the batsmen. He bowled with a lot of zeal and energy, hitting the good length consistently at a speed of more than 85 mph. He even managed to hit one on the helmet of Umar Gul, a rare sight for an Indian bowler. If he succeeds in maintaining his fitness levels, and with a slight increase in pace, this guy could reach great heights.