Since the introduction of the great Indian Premier League, the number of candidates seeking a spot in it has grown significantly. There is a multitude of T20 players who are equally deserving of the opportunity to represent India in international T20s.
Every IPL season produces some fantastic untapped talent that catches the attention of everyone, including the selectors. With the constant arrival of new T20 players, it is getting increasingly tough for certain players to return to the Indian T20I squad.
The ICC T20 World Cup will be held in 2022, and the selection of the Indian team for that competition would be difficult for the selectors. Some Indian players' international T20 careers have most likely come to an end. Here are five players who are very unlikely to join the team.
1- Manish Pandey
Despite several opportunities, Manish Pandey has been unable to find his groove. He has been underwhelming in a number of matches and may not receive many more opportunities to play for India.
Manish became the first Indian to achieve a hundred in T20 cricket. He did it for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL in 2009. Everyone expected him to be India's next great thing.
However, despite scoring a hundred, he had to wait six years for his first India cap. Pandey has been playing T20 cricket for almost a decade and is now an accomplished hitter.
Manish has played many brave innings in both the IPL and domestic cricket, but consistency has always been a concern for him. His career is currently on the decline.
2- Varun Chakravarthy
Varun Chakravarthy made his international debut when he was 30 years old. Unfortunately, he has been plagued by injuries since the start of his career. He has even failed to pass the fitness test on a few times, resulting in his expulsion from teams.
3- Krunal Pandya
With Ravindra Jadeja as the first choice and the growth of spin bowling all-rounders such as Axar Patel, Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tewatia, Shahbaz Ahmed, and Washington Sundar, Krunal Pandya may not get another chance to play for India. The senior Pandya was called up to the Indian team after putting up strong performances for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.
Krunal last played a T20I in July 2021 and was not selected for the ICC T20 World Cup in 2021. Krunal is already 31 years old, and instead of selecting him, the team management may choose a young all-rounder who can support the team for a long time.
4- Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan has been ruled out due to his poor performance. Dhawan had a strong start to his Test career, scoring 187 in his first innings against a strong Australian team. He was quite good at home but suffered in foreign situations, which contributed to his early demise.
The 35-year-old has been batting quite well in the limited-overs series, but with age not on his side, he will undoubtedly need to do a lot to regain his place in the Test squad.
5- Karun Nair
Karun Nair's triple century was a major achievement for any batsman who aspired to play for India, but with the return of Ajinkya Rahane to the team, Karun Nair was forced to wait in the wings once more, and he couldn't contribute much after that.
He has been playing domestic cricket since being dropped, but he appears to have lost his touch and is unlikely to make a comeback to the test squad.
