5 Players Unlucky To Miss Out On The Squad For The New Zealand Series

The Indian Team for the upcoming New Zealand T20I series has been announced. After the end of the T20 World Cup, this tournament is considered to be the beginning of the new era for Team India. In this article, we take a look at five players unlucky to miss out on the squad for the New Zealand series.

India’s T20I squad: Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (VC), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Harshal Patel, and Mohd. Siraj

1) Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson was the sixth-highest run-scorer in IPL 2021. The wicket-keeper batsmen scored 484 runs in 14 games. He did that despite also operating as the captain. However, he still did not find a spot in the Indian Team. Especially with the likes of Virat Kohli absent, Sanju might have deserved a chance. Rahul Dravid is a player who could have helped Sanju do well for Team India. However, India has gone ahead with Shreyas Iyer and SKY for the series.

2) Arshdeep Singh

The left-arm seamer from Punjab collected 18 wickets in IPL 2021. He impressed many with his variations and calmness under pressure. India needs a left-arm seam option, and Arshdeep could have been a good choice. The player is in form, and the selectors could have considered it. However, Arshdeep has not been selected.

3) Shardul Thakur

Shardul Thakur could not make an impression in the chances that he got in the T20 World Cup. However, those games were under pressure and Shardul is relatively new to such situations. Hence, a good outing in the NZ series could have restored his confidence. On the Indian pitches, his skills with the bat could have also been observed. Hence, the Mumbai cricketer is also one of the unlucky players.

4) Varun CV

Varun CV could not do well in the T20 World Cup. There were massive expectations surrounding the mystery spinner. That said, it is harsh to drop him after only one bad series unless he has fitness issues. Varun has shown that he has got more to him than just the mystery element. Hence, the selectors could have trusted him at least for a few more games. 

5) T Natarajan

Just a year ago, T Natarajan was considered as a player who will be part of the T20 team for a long time. However, he does not feature in the latest squad. Injury has been the main issue and Nattu is yet to rediscover the form that he showed in IPL 2020. An opportunity in the series against the Kiwis could have helped him a lot.