With Sri Lanka’s recent loss to New Zealand, India has booked a spot in the finals of the World Test Championship 2023. The men in blue were also a part of the finals of the first edition of the championship. It was a tough loss to the Kiwis but the fans will hope that the experience would help the Indians against Australia in June. India’s red-ball setup has undergone quite a few changes since then. A few players who were a part of the squad then are not even in contention right now. On that note, here, we take a look at four Indians who played in WTC 2021 Finals but are nowhere in the picture right now.
1) Ajinkya Rahane
Of course, the first name that pops up is that of Ajinkya Rahane. Interestingly, the Mumbai cricketer was the vice-captain of the squad that played in the finals.
Even then, Rahane’s form was down and it worsened further in the subsequent months. On the tour of South Africa, too, Rahane failed and hence, he had to drop out of the Indian Team. Rahane is yet to make a comeback to the squad and the chances are looking slim now.
2) Hanuma Vihari
Hanuma Vihari is one of the Indians who were in the WTC 2021 Finals squad but is nowhere in the picture right now. Vihari was then a part of the Indian Team as a part of the backup for the main batters, especially in the middle-order.
After Rahane and Pujara were dropped, many felt Vihari would get a due run in the Indian Team. However, Pujara made a comeback while Vihari lost his form in domestic cricket. In parallel, the likes of Shreyas Iyer grabbed their chances to perfection. Therefore, at the moment, Vihari is too far down the pecking order, below the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and even Sarfaraz Khan.
3) Wriddhiman Saha
While Rishabh Pant was the primary keeper, Wriddhiman Saha was his deputy back then. For the WTC 2023 Finals, Pant will be absent due to his recent accident.
Saha is yet to retire from the game. He still operates in domestic cricket but due to his age, it is hard for him to execute a comeback. India decided to move on from the veteran and therefore, Saha has not got a chance after he lost his place. There are the likes of KS Bharat and Ishan Kishan who are in contention right now. Therefore, Saha is on this list.
4) Ishant Sharma
Ishant Sharma is also one of the Indians who played in the WTC 2021 Finals but is nowhere in the picture right now. Back then, Ishant was the most experienced Indian bowler in the team. However, after losing form, Ishant lost his spot and has not merited a comeback till now.
That said, with Jasprit Bumrah ruled out of WTC 2023 finals and considering Ishant’s experience at the Lord’s, it won’t be a surprise if Ishant fancies a comeback. It would be a bold call but may not be a bad one because it is a one-off encounter.
