The ICC Cricket World Cup offers a platform for the world’s top cricket players to display their prowess. However, a few well-known Indian cricketers were never given the opportunity to compete in this illustrious competition. Let’s take a look at five such Indian cricket legends today.
Ishant Sharma was one of India’s premier fast bowlers in red-ball cricket for a long time. The tall fast bowler appears first on this list. Sharma made his debut for India in 2007, however, he was never selected for a World Cup team. Surprisingly, despite his constant efforts in Tests and One Day Internationals (ODIs), he was not selected for the World Cup. Along with his endurance, his ability to extract bounce and seam movement would have been quite useful in a tournament situation.
Sharma represented India in 80 One-Day matches from 2007 to 2016. In those 80 matches, he picked up 115 wickets at an average of 30.98 with an economy of 5.72 RPO. He played an instrumental role in India’s win in the Champions Trophy in 2013.
The next person is RP Singh, a significant contributor to India’s 2007 T20 World Cup victory. Singh was never selected for an ICC ODI World Cup team in spite of this. Singh was an essential member of the Indian bowling lineup because of his left-arm pace and ball-swinging prowess. To many cricket fans, his exclusion from the World Cup rosters is still a mystery.
RP Singh played for India in 58 One-Day matches and took 69 wickets. His average of 33.95 was probably the reason he missed out on the World Cup squads.
Third on our list is the wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel. Patel, the youngest wicketkeeper in Test history, earned his international debut at the tender age of 17. Patel was a talented player who got off to a fast start, but he was never given the chance to wear the World Cup jersey. His erratic performance and competition from other talented wicketkeepers, especially MS Dhoni played a major role in his absence from World Cup.
The wicketkeeper-batter scored 736 runs in 38 matches at an average of just 23.74 at a strike rate of 76.50.
Fourth on our list is a skilled leg spinner named Amit Mishra. Mishra was a tough opponent due to his deceptive bowling and capacity for ball spin on any surface. Nevertheless, despite his apparent potential, Mishra was never selected for a World Cup squad. Given the match-winning qualities he demonstrated in provincial and international cricket, his omission frequently aroused eyebrows. His stats suggest that he would have been a great pick in the squads.
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In the 36 matches he played, he picked up 64 wickets at an average of 23.60 with an economy of 4.72 RPO.
Finally, we reach VVS Laxman, whose omission from World Cup selections was possibly the most unexpected. Laxman was a pillar of Indian cricket and was known for his graceful batting and ability to perform under duress. He had notable performances, especially in Test cricket, although he was never selected for a World Cup team. One of the most puzzling incidents in Indian cricket history is still this one.
The red-ball veteran played in 86 One-Day matches for India. He scored 2338 runs at an average of 30.76 and at a strike rate of 71.23.
Conclusion
The fact that these five well-known cricketers were left off World Cup teams emphasises how unpredictable cricket is. Ishant Sharma, RP Singh, Parthiv Patel, Amit Mishra, and VVS Laxman never had the opportunity to flourish on the World Cup stage despite their talent and services to Indian cricket. Their experiences serve as a reminder of the fierce competition and challenging selection processes that exist in the cricket industry. However, their influence on Indian cricket is still strong. Their accomplishments have demonstrated that success isn’t exclusively determined by World Cup attendance and continue to motivate the upcoming generation of cricketers.
Also Read: World Cup 2023: How does the schedule benefit India?
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