A Dream Never Fulfilled: Top 5 Cricketers Never Played For India

image-lgzcjn8uTwitter

In a country like India, it's very hard for an individual to beat the competition and represent the country in International cricket. The Indian Premier League gave rise to the opportunities for the players to showcase their talent, but it also increased the competitiveness among playersAmol Muzumdar to find a place in the national squad. 

On that note's let's check out top five cricketers, who never played for India. 

1. Ishwar Pandey

image-lgz07cxqIshwar Pandey (Twitter)

Making his domestic debut in 2010, Ishwar Pandey displayed his wicket-taking skills in First-class and List-A formats. He impressed with 25 wickets in the 2011/12 season, and then topped the bowling charts with 48 wickets in the subsequent season. He was then selected to play for the India-A team. Pandey was named in the Indian Test and ODI squads for the New Zealand tour of 2014 as well. 

In the 2015 season, the right-arm pacer scalped 11 wickets in 10 games for Chennai Super Kings. However, Pandey could not take his performance to another level for finding a place in the XI in the coming years. 

2. Basil Thampi

image-lgzc8wq7Basil Thampi (Twitter)

The right-arm pacer from Kerala made his domestic debut in 2014. He then featured for the team across all the formats. He impressed by picking eight wickets in five games of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which helped the talented seamer to be selected as a net bowler for the Indian team during the Tour to Australia in February- March 2017. 

Thampi then was bought by Gujarat Lions in the IPL 2017 auction as well. With his pace and toe-crushing yorkers, the skilful pacer took 11 wickets in 12 games. However, the competitiveness among the fast bowling prospects evaded him of an opportunity in the Indian team. 

3. Amol Muzumdar

image-lgz0bawpAmol Muzumdar (Twitter)

One of the finest batting talent was certainly born in a wrong era. Amol was next to bat when Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli stitched a world-record 664-run partnership for Shardashram English school. Although Tendulkar and Kambli eventually made it to the Indian team, Amol failed to break into the squad. 

In 171 First-class games, the right-handed batter slammed more than 11,000 runs at a staggering average of 48.13, with 60 fifties and 30 centuries. He scored more than 3,000 runs in the List-A format as well, and featured last in 2013. 

4. Sheldon Jackson

image-lgz0d9sfSheldon Jackson(Twitter)

Jackson made his debut for Saurashtra in 2006, but has retained his place since 2011. He is a top-order batter and a wicket-keeper. He was with the Kolkata Knight Riders squad in from 2009-2010, but never featured in a game. He hit four fifties and three hundreds in the Ranji Trophy 2012-13, helping the state team to qualify for the final. He then represented India A in the coming years. 

However, he failed to represent Royal Challengers Bangalore and KKR from 2013-17 period. With 613 runs in eight games of Ranji Trophy 2018/19, Jackson was the leading run-getter for Saurashtra in the group stage. In 2021, Jackson finally made his IPL debut for KKR, but could not cash-in the opportunity to stake his claim for the Indian red-ball side.  


5. Unmukt Chand

image-lgzcfg34Unmukt Chand (Twitter)

Unmukt Chand led India to title victory in the 2012 U19 World Cup, where he emerged as the top-scorer for the team with 246 runs in six games at an average of 49.20. He then got an opportunity with Delhi Daredevils in the IPL. He scored 158 runs in nine games, with 41 as the top score. 

However, Chand could not be proficient enough at the top-order in the subsequent years. With more than 3,000 runs and 4,000 runs in First-class and List-A cricket, he bid goodbye to his India career in August 2021. He is currently plying his trade in USA domestic cricket to feature for USA cricket team.