The Indian cricket team has made considerable progress in the cricket world after the birth of T20 format. The Men in Blue won the first ICC T20I World Cup event in 2007. Next, the BCCI introduced the Indian Premier League as India became the powerhouse of cricket.
Thanks to the IPL and the craze of cricket in the country, there are thousands of cricketers in India right now. However, not everyone is lucky enough to receive an opportunity to play for the Indian cricket team at the international level.
Some players manage to get the first break, but they fail to make it big in their careers. In this article, we will have a look at those five players who once played a T20I for India, but not many fans remember their appearance.
Ajit Agarkar
Former Indian all-rounder Ajit Agarkar is currently working as a cricket expert for Sony. The fans get to know his views on air for ongoing India vs Australia series. 14 years ago, Agarkar received his maiden T20I cap.
He was one of the 11 players who represented India in the first-ever T20I match against South Africa. The medium pace-bowling all-rounder played 4 T20I fixtures for the Indian cricket team. In those four matches, Agarkar scalped three wickets and also bowled a maiden. He played his last T20I against New Zealand at the Wanderers Stadium.
Dinesh Mongia
Talking about India’s first playing XI in the T20I match against South Africa, Dinesh Mongia played a match-winning knock for the team on that night. The 43-year-old played his first and last T20 international match back in 2006.
He scored 38 runs versus the rainbow nation. Since his strike rate was 84.44, Mongia possibly did not receive another chance to play T20I cricket. The left-handed batsman also took a catch in that game.
Murali Kartik
Left-arm spin bowler Murali Kartik had the best series of his career against Australia in 2007. Because of his magnificent performance versus the Aussies, he earned a place in the T20I squad that faced the Men in Yellow at the Brabourne Stadium.
Although Kartik bowled a decent spell of 0/27 in his four overs and India won the game by seven wickets, the southpaw did not get another chance to play for the Indian T20I team. Like Ajit Agarkar, Murali Kartik has retired and is working as a cricket expert for SONY now.
Naman Ojha
MS Dhoni captained the Indian cricket team in the game’s shortest format and also kept the wickets. Since he rarely missed matches at the international level, the other wicket-keepers in the country did not receive a chance to play for the nation.
Still, the team management offered Naman Ojha a chance to prove himself at the international level in the T20I series versus Zimbabwe. Playing against the minnows at the Harare Sports Club, Ojha could not impress much as he scored only 10 runs in two matches. Notably, his strike rate was just 44.44. Thus, his T20I career ended early before the fans could notice him at a grander stage.
Sreenath Aravind
Sreenath Aravind became a well-known name in Indian cricket after his brilliant performance for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL. The left-arm medium-pace bowler troubled the batsmen in the powerplay overs and also picked up wickets in the slog overs.
Thus, the Indian selectors named him in the squad for the home series against South Africa. Unfortunately, Aravind’s inexperience hurt him as he leaked 44 runs in just 3.4 overs. He managed to clean up Faf du Plessis but eventually, his spell turned the game in South Africa’s favour and Rohit Sharma’s hundred went in vain. Soon, Aravind lost his place in the international team.
