Playing cricket for India is just the beginning. Maintaining a spot on the national team requires consistent performance at the highest level. Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli are just two examples of players whose success at home has extended to win abroad. Because of their consistency, they could maintain a lucrative career for many years.
But there are also examples of cricketers who were given an opportunity at the national team level and then faded out after promising starts.
#10 Rishi Dhawan
Himachal Pradesh native Rishi Dhawan was once considered India’s long-term all-rounder option. However, due to his two disappointing IPL campaigns, he has been forgotten by the cricket world. Dhawan appeared in four international matches, 3 ODIs, and 1 T20I. He played three ODIs, scoring 12 runs and taking one wicket of George Bailey. In his only T20I, Rishi failed miserably, managing just one run and one wicket at an economy rate of 10.50. In 2016, he last played for India in a match against Australia. Dhawan will need to get in better shape and show his worth in domestic competitions before IPL franchises. The selection committee will give him another chance at an international comeback.
#9 Faiz Fazal
Indian cricket’s unluckiest player was Faiz Fazal. Despite 14 years of excellent domestic accomplishments, he has only been recognised once for his hard work and dedication. Selectors and IPL franchises overlook Fazal despite his 55 runs in his only match for India at the international level. In 2015, he scored an unbeaten 55 in his only national team appearance against Zimbabwe. He’s 34 years old now, so a national call-up is doubtful. But, he remains vital to the Vidarbha team that won the Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup under his captaincy.
#8 Pankaj Singh
One of the most seasoned players in the domestic competition is the tall and slim fast bowler from Rajasthan, Pankaj Singh. He has been an essential part of the Rajasthan team since his debut in 2003. Although he consistently performed well in domestic competitions, he could not live up to the high standards the national team’s selectors set and was consequently ignored. While representing India in his only ODI, he failed to take a wicket and instead gave 45 runs. In 2014, the pacer last performed for India against England. The bowler is about to turn 35, making a comeback to the national squad unlikely.
#7 Rahul Sharma
In the fifth and sixth seasons of the IPL, Rahul Sharma was among the most economical bowlers. After that, he failed to create an impression and was dropped from national and IPL teams. Since 2012, the tall leg-spinner has been missing from the national team. When you have established leg-spinners like Yuzvendra Chahal, it’s hard to imagine someone like Sharma ever making it to the national team. As of late, he has yet to compete for a spot on Punjab’s squad. Since the eighth season of the Indian Premier League, Sharma has also failed to attract any franchise.
#6 Abhimanyu Mithun
Karnataka fast bowler Abhimanyu Mithun was called up to the national team after taking 47 wickets and a hat trick in his debut Ranji Trophy campaign. On a surface when most bowlers were being hammered for runs, he returned with statistics of 4/105 in his first Test, played in 2010 against Sri Lanka. Because of his limited skill set, Mithun has had to make room for more versatile bowlers. It’s been since 2011, and he still needs to obtain the nod. Considering his solid performance for Karnataka in the domestic tournament, he may make it back to the national team at 30.
#5 Parvinder Awana
In 2012, the Kings XI Punjab signed Parvinder Awana after he had a stellar season in the Ranji Trophy. Known for his ability to bowl with pace and swing, he was selected to play in the 2012 T20 series against England. He was dropped from the team immediately after conceding 71 runs at a highly high economy of 11.83 in the two games he was a part of. After that, he, too, had trouble in the IPL and has been without a franchise since the 2015 auction. After Bhuvneshwar Kumar established himself as India’s primary swing bowler, the selectors ignored Awana. Due to his inconsistency, Awana has been forgotten.
#4 Munaf Patel
Munaf Patel was pivotal in India’s 2011 World Cup triumph. However, he has not found an IPL franchise or won the selectors’ confidence. Thus his former abilities are of no use. His state team, Baroda, parted relations with him after he showed declining bowling skills. Since 2011, Patel has yet to play for India. After playing for the Gujarat Lions in 2017, he has been overlooked by both IPL franchises and selectors due to his lack of match experience and fitness.
#3 Parvez Rasool
Jammu and Kashmir’s all-rounder Parvez Rasool came into the spotlight when he excelled in his few opportunities during the 2012–13 Ranji season. His efficiency earned him IPL contracts and call-ups to the national team in 2013, but he has struggled to succeed in the blue jersey. Rasool cannot breach the batters’ defences, and his poor bowling hinders his batting. Rasool last featured the Indian colours in 2017. Rasool last played for India in a T20I against England. Kedar Jadhav, Vijay Shankar, and Hardik Pandya have already filled the batting all-rounder position.
#2 Pragyan Ojha
Pragyan Ojha’s time with the Indian national squad was sporadic up to 2013. He was named Man of the Match for his performance against the West Indies in Sachin Tendulkar’s final international match. He concluded with match statistics of 10/89. However, he no longer plays for the team after being dropped in favour of left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja. Ojha was dropped from the team because he was a poor fielder and a mediocre bowler at the domestic level. His 2015 release from Mumbai Indians was for the same reasons. The left-handed orthodox spinner is no longer active in cricket as a player.
#1 Praveen Kumar
After years as a stalwart in the Indian squad, Praveen Kumar was dropped owing to health concerns. However, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s talents to generate good bounce and swing the ball in both directions overshadowed his. While he is a precocious talent, the selectors had to drop him due to injury concerns. Teams were not interested in bidding for Praveen because of his weak bowling and clumsy fielding. At the domestic level, he is now representing Uttar Pradesh.
