IND vs ENG: 5 unlucky Indian cricketers who missed the T20 series

Indian cricket selectors have announced the squad for the five-match T20I series against England. The first match of the series is to be played on 22nd January and will be led by batter Suryakumar Yadav. The defending T20 World Cup champion have won bilateral series against Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and South Africa since winning the title in June. 

The biggest news from the selection committee meeting was the return of Mohammed Shami. The 34-year-old veteran pacer marks his return to international cricket after missing out on action for one year. Shami will join Arshdeep Singh as the two leading pace bowling options for India during the T20I series against England.

While fans were happy with the return of Mohammed Shami, there were questions being asked about some notable exclusions. Some of the players who were part of the Australian weren’t named in the team. Few other players who have done well in the IPL and recent games for India missed out on selection as well. 

Also read: Why are Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, and Riyan Parag not part of England T20I series?

Here are the top 5 Indian cricket stars who were unlucky to miss out on selection for T20I series against England -

5. Rajat Patidar 

Veteran batter Rajat Patidar was unlucky not to find his name in the squad for the upcoming T20I series against England. The 31-year-old had a great Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament for Madhya Pradesh which saw his team reach the finals. Patidar scored 428 runs from 10 matches and was the second highest scorer of the tournament. The right-handed batter had an average of 81 and strike rate of 186 with five half-centuries. Rajat Patidar’s will consider himself unlucky to miss out on selection for the IND vs ENG T20I series. 

4. Avesh Khan 

The 28-year-old Avesh Khanis one of the unlucky Indian cricketers missing the T20I series against England. The right-arm pacer had a decent Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament for Madhya Pradesh and picked 10 wickets. With Mohammed Siraj not being in the team, Avesh Khan could have been given a chance considering his experience in this format. The right-arm pacer has played 25 T20I matches for India and picked 27 wickets with a best of 4/18. 

3. Shivam Dube 

All-rounder Shivam Dube will be upset at missing out on the IND vs ENG T20I series. the 31-year-old is just back after a long injury layoff. Dube played a key role in Mumbai winning the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament with 151 runs from 5 games. The 31-year-old had an average of 75.5 and strike rate of 179. Shivam Dube played 15 T20 games for India last year scoring 296 runs with an average of 32 and strike rate of 134 and also picked five wickets with the ball. 

2. Ishan Kishan 

It seems Ishan Kishan’s wait to make it back to the national side is just getting longer. The 26-year-old wasn’t considered for selection for the IND vs ENG T20I series despite Rishabh Pant not being in the side. Selectors decided to name Dhruv Jurel as the second wicketkeeper with Sanju Samson making his spot permanent. Ishan Kishan not too long ago was one of the key players for India in the white-ball format. The latest snub will hurt the 26-year-old who had shown great batting prowess in recent months. 

1. Ruturaj Gaikwad 

Chennai Super Kings skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad is one of the unluckiest Indian cricketers miss out on T20I selection. The 27-year-old missed the boat to be picked as the third opener in the side which will see Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma bat at the top of the order. Ruturaj Gaikwad has already played 23 T20I matches for India scoring 633 runs and is one of the few players to score a century in this format. The right-handed batter has hit one ton and four half-centuries with an average of 39 and strike rate of 143.