Published: Dec 29, 2022, 01:54 PM (IST)
Edited: Dec 29, 2022, 01:54 PM (IST)
New Delhi: India will start the 2023 calendar year with a home series against Sri Lanka in January. The two Asian giants will face off each other in white-ball series. The limited overs contest will have three T20Is first and it will start on January 3 in Mumbai. After the shortest format battle, the action will shift to ODI matches which will take place on January 10, 12 and 15 in Guwahati, Kolkata and Thiruvananthapuram respectively.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday (December 27) announced the squad for the white-ball series, in which they made some surprise exclusions as well as inclusions. On one hand, the pacer duo of Shivam Mavi and Mukesh Kumar found a place in the Indian team for the T20I matches, whereas on the other the likes of Prithvi Shaw, Shahbaz Ahmed and Rajat Patidar were not considered for either of the series.
Here’s a look at five players who deserved a spot in the Indian team but were unlucky to miss out:
Prithvi Shaw: Young opening batter has represented India in all three formats of the game but is currently out of favour. The 23-year-old Mumbai cricketer last played for the Men in Blue on July 25, 2021, when a second-string Indian team travelled to the island nation. He has consistently delivered for his domestic side and IPL team, but is snubbed time and again.
Rajat Patidar: Rajat Patidar earned his maiden India call-up for the ODI series against South Africa in October 2022 but didn’t get a chance to make his debut. He was part of the squad for ODI series against Bangladesh as well, but was overlooked there as well and now he has been dropped from the team without getting a game.
Shahbaz Ahmed: Bengal all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed made his ODI debut for India against South Africa in October and featured in the first ODI against Bangladesh as well, but surprisingly now he has been dropped and is not selected in either of the white-ball squad.
