5 popular players who were in India's probables for the 2011 World Cup but were not selected

The 2011 World Cup was a prestigious win for Team India. After 28 years, India managed to win the World Cup. A lot went into the background which resulted in success in the field. One main factor was the team selection. A few unlucky cricketers could not make it to the final squad. In this article, we take a look at 5 popular players who were in India's probables for the 2011 World Cup but were not selected.

In the past, the selection committee used to name a 30-member list from which the eventual 15-member squad would be selected. This helped them to remove the conversations about team selection until the event and gave the backroom staff a clear direction. Of course, half of this list will be unlucky as they will have to be left out of the main squad.

1) Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma is one of the popular players who were in India's probables for the 2011 World Cup but were not selected. The current Indian skipper had not exactly cemented his place in the squad then but everyone was aware of his talent. However, the batting positions were filled and therefore, the management could not afford to have him in the XI. Nevertheless, in the 2023 World Cup at home, Rohit will lead Team India.

2) Dinesh Karthik

Since the event was happening at home, India did not require a backup wicketkeeper. MS Dhoni was the captain of the squad and he was surely going to play all the matches. Therefore, India did not have another WK in the team. So, DK missed out. 

3) Ravindra Jadeja

Surprisingly, even Ravindra Jadeja is a part of this list of players who were in India's probables for the 2011 World Cup but were not selected. The Saurashtra all-rounder had just started making noise with his performance. However, with left-handers such as Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh in the squad, Jaddu was not required. The spin department was also filled and this further decreased Jadeja's chances.

4) Shikhar Dhawan

It was an impossible task to displace the top order of the Indian Team then. Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar were firmly the choices for the top order. Hence, it was not a surprise that Shikhar Dhawan did not find a place in the squad. 

5) Cheteshwar Pujara

Pujara is also one of the popular players who were in India's probables for the 2011 World Cup but were not selected. When his career started, Pujara also played a few games in ODIs. However, the performances were not that great to guarantee him a spot in the side. This was what happened for the 2011 WC. The batting spots were anyways filled and Pujara was always going to find it hard.