Amit Mishra, the veteran Indian spinner, recently shared his experiences during a YouTube podcast. He felt let down particularly when MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli were captains.
Mishra stressed, “just playing good cricket isn’t enough” to impress selectors. Being liked by the captain matters significantly in team selection. Despite having an excellent rapport with Dhoni, he was told by him “he didn’t fit the combination for the Playing XI”
Mishra also recalled the incidents when he was unexpectedly omitted from the final XI after performing well in a Test match against Bangladesh in 2010.
He expected his recall when Kohli was leading the side after the retirement of Dhoni but time and again he was ignored.
R Ashwin, Sanju Samson, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Yuzvendra Chahal and many more are the unfortunate players who often were sidelined.
Others who were ignored:
Ambati Rayudu
Known for his brilliant middle-order batting, Rayudu’s career faced many hurdles. Despite consistent performances, he faced selection dilemmas and controversies. He once even tweeted his IPL retirement announcement and withdrew it quickly.
Even when playing in Hyderabad cricket, he faced many issues.
Parthiv Patel
The wicketkeeper-batsman made sporadic appearances for India. Despite impressive domestic records, he struggled to cement his place due to competition. “Always about individuals”, Parthiv Patel criticised RCB’s Team culture amid not winning the IPL Trophy.
He was compared to Dhoni, when he made his appearence on the national scene, but soon faded away — didn’t get many chances.
Like him, Naman Ohja, a brilliant wicket-keeper batsman, was unlucky to be in the Dhoni-era — cos other wicketkeeper batsman didn’t get the chance.
Manoj Tiwary
Tiwary’s talent was evident, but he rarely got extended opportunities. His case highlights the fine line between being in and out of the playing XI. The 38-year-old batter has played white ball internationals but his biggest regret is not getting a Test cap despite strong performances and being ignored for 14 matches after scoring a hundred. Once he was angry with captain cool MS Dhoni.
Piyush Chawla
A talented leg-spinner, Chawla played crucial roles in limited-overs cricket. However, he often found himself on the fringes due to team dynamics.
These cricketers faced challenges similar to Amit Mishra. The 35-year-old bowling all-rounder Chawla played 35 international matches (3 Tests, 25 ODIs and 10 T-20Is) but he has not been selected for the Indian team since then. Chawla has been a regular in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he has played for several teams over the years.
