5 Cricketers Who Never Got Their Due In Indian Team

Cricket is much more than a sport in India; it’s a religion. Countless people in the country dream of being a professional cricketer and playing for the national team. According to a survey by the Indian government, around 55 lakh people in India play cricket, and if you’d ask any of these 55 lakh players, they will say it’s their dream to play for the Indian cricket team. However, not everyone can fulfil their dreams; some people never make their way to the Indian cricket team. Although never being selected for the Indian team is bad, getting selected by the team and still not being able to play is even worse. In this blog, we will look at some of the best players selected for the Indian cricket team squad but never got the chance to play for their team. 

Cricketers Who Never Got A Chance To Play In Blue

Before starting the list, we must tell you that all the players on this list possess exceptional skills, but for some reason, they could never play for the Indian Cricket team. 

1. Dheeraj Jadhav

Dheeraj Jadhav is an exceptional cricketer from Maharashtra who is among the unluckiest cricketers ever. Despite scoring tons of runs in the Indian domestic cricket circuit and possessing exceptional skills, Jadhav never got the chance to play for the Indian cricket team. However, after performing exceptionally in domestic cricket, Jadhav was selected for the 2004 Indian test team squad against Australia but never got the chance to play. The presence of Gautam Gambhir, VVS Laxman, Virendra Sehwag, and Rahul Dravid made his chances of playing even slimmer. Jadhav has around 5831 runs in Indian domestic first-class cricket, averaging 56.06 runs per inning. 

2. Shib Shankar Paul

Another player whose full potential was never seen is Shib Shankar Paul. He was a cricketer from the Bengal State Team and one of the best pacers in first-class cricket. He played 61 games for the Bengal; in those 61 games, he took 220 wickets with an average of 24.95. He had 15 fifers and 2 ten-wicket hauls during his career, which is extraordinary. He was selected for the Indian Cricket team on two separate occasions- once in 2004 against Australia and the next in a two-match test series against Bangladesh in the same year. 

However, even after being selected for the Indian squad 2 times, he never got to play for the country. 

3. Ranadeb Bose

Another cricket player who played for the Bengal state team, Ranadeb Bose, was a prolific bowler and was once called one of the most promising up-and-coming bowlers in India. In 2007, India played a match against Sri Lanka A, where Ranadeb Bose performed exceptionally well, taking 5 wickets in the match. However, the skipper of the Indian cricket team, Rahul Dravid, chose Sresanth over Ranadeb Bose. This was the last time Ranadeb will ever be on the Indian team bench. However, this didn’t stop him from performing exceptionally well in first-class cricket, where he took 317 wickets in 91 games with an average of  25.80. He also has 24 fifers and 6 ten-wicket hauls to his name. 

4. Sunil Valson

Sunil Valson is an Indian left-arm medium pacer who was at his best during the 1983 World Cup. His exceptional performance in the domestic circuit got him a spot on the Indian cricket team squad, but except for a warm-up match, he never got to play a single international match. In a warm-up match against New Zealand, he took the wicket of both the Kiwi openers; however, he still wasn’t selected to play. He is one of the biggest uncapped talents in India. During his 10-year-long domestic career, he played for Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and Railways, where he played 75 games in total and took 212 wickets with an average of 25.35.

5. Rajesh Panwar

Rajesh Panwar is an Indian cricketer from Mumbai, Maharashtra. He was a vital player for the Mumbai team, who also won the Ranji trophy in 2024, marking their 42nd victory in the tournament. Rajesh played for three teams in the Ranji Trophy, including Mumbai, Baroda, and Andhra Pradesh. His praiseworthy performances in the domestic cricket team got him a seat on the 30-man preliminary squad for the 2007 World Cup. Although he was selected for the test series against Bangladesh, the presence of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh meant he could never play in the top 11. 

Indian Cricketers Who Could Have Been A Star

India has millions of people who want to make a career in cricket, and many of them possess exceptional talent and skills. However, only a few get to reach the Indian national team, and even fewer can stay at the top. However, the prevalence of IPL has given many players an opportunity to showcase their talent and make their way to the Indian national team. Many players in recent memory have found their way to the Indian national cricket team by playing exceptionally well in the Indian Premier League.  We hope you liked our blog, SportsnScoop, which brings you the most engaging and thought-provoking blogs to stay updated with the landscape of sports in the world.