Win Projections to be updated soon
A 15-member men’s squad and five standby players have been named by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to compete in the next Asian Games 2022, which will take place in Hangzhou, China, from September 23 to October 8. The T20I format will be used for the cricket competition, which will all be contested at the Pingfeng Cricket Field at Zhejiang University of Technology.
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 will clash with this event, hence the BCCI named a backup team under the direction of Ruturaj Gaikwad. A number of young players have been introduced to the team, but some have also passed up the chance to make a name for themselves in international cricket. Let’s look at five players that should have been on the team but weren’t selected: As the young Indian team is ready to represent the nation in the huge event
5 Players who deserved a spot in India’s squad:
1. Vijay Shankar
The 32-year-old had an outstanding season in the most recent IPL 2023, scoring 301 runs in ten innings at a strike rate of 160.10 and an average of 37.62. Against Kolkata Knight Riders, the 32-year-old delivered a game-winning innings of 51* off 24 balls, striking two fours and five sixes.
Throughout the season, Shankar served as GT’s finisher, scoring three half-centuries and making a few useful cameos. After being left out of the T20I squad for the West Indies tour, Shankar argued persuasively that he should be included in the Asian Games squad. But he didn’t win over the judges, thus he wasn’t chosen.
Since the 2019 ODI World Cup, Shankar had been eyeing a comeback to the Indian team, so the omission may have a significant negative impact on his confidence. The 32-year-old will be eager to step up his game as he will face tough competition from Shardul Thakur for a place in the team with the T20 World Cup set for next year.
2. Rahul Tewatia
Since his blitz against Kings XI Punjab (Punjab Kings) in the IPL 2020 helped Rajasthan Royals secure an unlikely victory, Rahul Tewatia has become a household name. The 30-year-old finished brilliantly for Gujarat Titans in 2023, scoring 87 runs with a strike rate of 152.63 while slamming three fours and seven sixes.
Nevertheless, Rinku Singh from the Kolkata Knight Riders, another finisher, eclipsed him and completely changed the tournament with his incredible performance. Despite this, Tewatia deserved to wear the blue jersey because he had consistently demonstrated his mastery of finishing. Sadly, the team’s selection committee hasn’t yet deemed him worthy enough to join it.
Due to the failure of the T20 World Cup in 2021 and 2022, Team India has been searching for strong finishers for a very long period. In this situation, Tewatia’s selection still has a chance and the door isn’t completely closed; he might join the team at any point.
3. Shikhar Dhawan
The seasoned opener has been dropped from all formats, but the IPL is where he continues to show his mettle. He finished the most prolific run scorer for Punjab Kings in the most recent season, amassing 373 runs in 11 innings at an average of 41.44, including three fifty-sixes. Additionally, Dhawan has 11 fifty-scores and a T20I average of 1759 runs at a pace of 27.92.
Given his extensive experience in international cricket and as captain, the southpaw would have been a terrific choice for the team. Nevertheless, with the T20 World Cup 2024 only a year away, the selectors decided against bringing the veteran back into the lineup and instead offered the younger players a chance.
Despite this, Dhawan’s ability to lead a group of young players through challenging game scenarios was crucial. And his IPL statistics are a clear testament to his batting skill in the game’s shortest format. Dhawan’s expertise would have been invaluable to the team, but it is utterly uncertain whether he will ever play again for the Indian national team.
4. Varun Chakravarthy
After having a disappointing season in 2021, Chakravarthy once more succeeded in confusing the batters with his modifications in the 2023 campaign. With 20 wickets at an average of 21.45 and an economy of 8.14, the 31-year-old ended up leading KKR in wicket-taking.
The leg-break bowler was also named Player of the Match twice, once each against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore. His exploits, however, were unable to pave the way for his return to the Indian team.
The cricket player from Karnataka is one of the few talents in the nation with enough tricks in his sleeve to confound several of the game’s greatest batters. Chakravarthy was unable to join the team since spin possibilities were Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, and Shahbaz Ahmed.
5.Ayush Badoni
The 23-year-old made some impressive cameo appearances for the Lucknow Super Giants during the most recent season, recording one half-century and 238 runs in 12 innings at an average of 23.80 runs per and 138.37 strikeouts per nine innings. In the 2022 campaign, when he also reached 50 runs for Lucknow, Badoni gained widespread recognition.
He has two fifty-sevens and 532 runs at an average of 23.13 in T20 cricket.. The Delhi-native is a promising young player, but the selectors decided that his IPL accomplishments were sufficient justification for a team India selection. Badoni has demonstrated enough promise to become a future star, but he will need to wait a little longer to guarantee his place in the Indian team.
The 23-year-old will have to reaffirm his mettle in the IPL and win the selectors’ favor. The young man still has a long journey ahead of him, one that will put his patience to the test, but he has already demonstrated the mental toughness required to go this far and will keep working.
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