5 Indian cricketers who went off the radar in ODI cricket in recent times

India has always been one of the best ODI teams in the history of cricket. Making an ODI debut for India is regarded as an achievement even in today’s day and age. There have been many great players to have played this format of the game for India.

While some players manage to find a place in the national squad, others fail to make the cut. Although the fight doesn’t end here for those who get selected, as retaining your place in the squad is an entirely different struggle. There is a lot of competition to get into Team India’s squad, in the first.

Many players in the recent past have lost their place in the ODI squad despite noteworthy performances. Many players have been dropped from the ODI team despite having more than modest numbers. Today we shall be taking a look at 5 Indian cricketers who went off the radar in ODI cricket in recent times

1) Vijay Shankar

Vijay Shankar‘s career started like the protagonist of a Bollywood movie. From being called as a replacement to becoming a permanent player only to get dropped, Shankar has seen it all. It is safe to say that Shankar had the potential to become a regular face in the Indian ODI team but failed to do so.

Shankar made his ODI debut against Australia in 2019 and instantly made a mark. In just his second series, he scored a valuable 40 and took the vital wicket of Marcus Stoinis in the final over to win the match for his team. He was even selected in the 2019 CWC squad out of nowhere.

The then selector of India, MSK Prasad said that he was a “Three Dimensional Player” and thus was selected in the squad resulted in positive and negative views from cricket pundits. However post that, he was never selected to play for India again. It is really sad to see that a talented all-rounder like Shankar from being India’s number 4 batsman to being another player who went off the radar in ODI cricket in recent times.

2) Kedar Jadhav

The curious case of Kedar Jadhav is an ideal case study for any student willing to do an analysis of this beautiful sport. Kedar Jadhav was hailed as “India’s next finisher” in ODI cricket. He was their Mr. Dependable for many years.

Kedar Jadhav managed to grab the headlines when he scored a stunning 120 against England in 2017 while chasing a 300+ total and even overshadowed Virat Kohli that day. Kedar Jadhav, even today he is one of the few players to have a batting average of above 40 and a strike rate of above 100 in ODI cricket. He has a batting average of 42 and a strike rate of 101 in 52, this shows the kind of impact he has created in the limited opportunities given to him.

There are only two reasons for the downfall of Kedar Jadhav, age and fitness. It was his regular injuries that kept him out of the team, his age didn’t help his cause either. Kedar Jadhav was also a handy part-timer and thus making him a complete package. There’s no doubt that Kedar Jadhav will go down as one of India’s most underrated ODI cricketers.

3) Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik has been around for about 15 years and has still not managed to become a regular face in India’s ODI team. This shows how tough it is to play for India on a consistent basis. Dinesh Karthik is someone who has always been under
the shadows of MS Dhoni.

Dinesh Karthik has played 94 ODIs for India and last played an ODI for India in the 2019 CWC semis. He has scored 9 fifties at an average of 30. DK has only himself to blame for not going off the radar in ODI cricket as he’s always been on the inconsistent side.

With the rise of KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant, it seems very unlikely that DK would ever play an ODI for India ever again. Besides, he’s 35 and the Indian management is looking for youngsters. Dinesh Karthik hasn’t played an ODI for India in the last 15 months, meaning India have moved on from him.

4) Ravichandran Ashwin

It is safe to call Ashwin one of the greatest Indian spinners of all time. He has been one of India’s biggest match-winners ever. However having said that, his ODI record isn’t as good as his Test or T20I record.

Ashwin last played an ODI for India in 2017. Despite getting 3 wickets in the last ODI, he never represented India in another ODI. Ashwin had played 111 ODI matches and has taken 150 wickets. The only reason why a legend like Ashwin has gone off the radar in ODI cricket of late is because of the current trend and demand for Wrist spinners.

It has been very hard for finger spinners to dominate this format and hence Ashwin hasn’t played an ODI for India in the last three matches. However one cannot rule out the fact that Ashwin is an absolute champion and might just manage to make a comeback in this format sometime in the near future.

5) Ambati Rayudu

It is safe to call Ambati Rayudu one of the unluckiest Indian players ever. Despite being the captain of India’s Under-19 team in the 2004 World Cup, Rayudu was never able to cement his spot in the Indian team. Many people considered him to be the next big thing in Indian cricket.

Rayudu has played 50 ODIs for India and has scored 1694 runs at an average of 47. Despite not getting a long run in India’s ODI setup, he finally seemed to have sealed his spot as India’s number 4 player in late 2018 and early 2019. He was all set to be India’s number 4 batsman in the 2019 CWC but was surprisingly dropped from the squad. It was Vijay Shankar who had replaced him in the squad.

Prasad, the then Indian selector at that time had justified Shankar’s selection over Rayadu, saying that the 33-year-old provided the team with a “three-dimensional” game. “We did give a few more chances to Rayudu but Vijay Shankar gives three dimensions. He can bat if the conditions are overcast, he can bowl, plus he is a good fielder. We are looking at Shankar as the No. 4,” Prasad had said. Post this, Rayudu never got a chance to play for India again and went off the radar in ODI cricket for India