5 Indian players who might already have played their last international game

There is no dearth of cricketing talent in India. Cricket flows in the very veins of this country. The craze for the game has just increased as time has progressed, helping India become one of the most competitive teams in the world.

But there’s a problem too. Too much to choose from often leads to overlooking of some players. In the biggest cricket playing nation, there is no exception. The ‘good ones’ are left behind for the ‘very good ones’ and they are left behind for the ‘great ones’.

Some players often take full toll of the chances given to him and make it big on the international stage. Some, on the other hand, fail to do so and are often axed from the team.

Here’s a list of 5 Indian players who might already have played their last international game:

1. Kedar Jadhav

Kedar Jadhav is one of those batsmen who was never really used to his full potential. A few games here and there meant that he was never a permanent member in the squad as well. Having made his debut under the captaincy of MS Dhoni in November 2014, he has only played 73 ODI matches and 9 T20I matches.

In the 52 innings he has batted in, his best performance came versus England in Pune in 2017 when he scored 120 runs and partnered with Virat Kohli in a memorable Indian win. For the most part of his scattered career, he got opportunities down the order and that didn’t help his cause. Although his strike rate of 101.61 is quite good, the average of 42.09 is boosted by the ‘not outs’.

At times, he was more in the Indian team for his bowling than his batting. With his slingy action and low release point, he has deceived many good batsmen. His wicket tally of 27 includes the like of Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahman and Kane Williamson. But that ‘golden arm’ has slowly faded away.

The opposition teams are now picking him up and playing accordingly. Kedar Jadhav, soon to turn 35, played his last match in January and seeing the current resources at India’s disposal, that might well have been his last international match.

2. Suresh Raina

Success is something which goes quicker than it comes. Suresh Raina, aged 33, has gone through this phase. The flamboyant left-handed batsman can be very proud of his career but the truth is that it has now fickled away.

When Raina made his debut in 2005, he was looked as a long-term prospect for the team and he didn’t disappoint. In 2010, he became the first Indian and only the second in the world to score a century in all three forms of the game. One year later, he was the part of the squad that won the 2011 World Cup. Although his Test career was cut short, he continued to be a regular feature in the shorter formats.

Things, though, changed after India crashed out of the 2015 World Cup. A few failures and he was dropped from the One Day Side and only got to play three years later, in 2018. Soon, he was out of the T20 squad. His off-spin bowling, which once was a treat for the captain, is now gone. With the increasing number of all-rounders coming on the big stage, it is unlikely that Suresh Raina will get another go at international cricket.

3. Murali Vijay

Once a regular feature of the test squad, Murali Vijay, the 35-year-old batsman from Tamil Nadu, now finds himself outside the Indian setup and much of that his is own doing.

When the regular test openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were coming to the end of their career, it was a golden opportunity for Murali Vijay to make it big on the international stage. Unfortunately for him though, Vijay was never able to convert the trust put into him to produce match-winning performances.

Opening in test matches is a tough job and after a fantastic 2017, Vijay had a terrible time opening in South Africa, England and Australia, averaging a mere 18.80 in 8 matches. He hasn’t played a single test since then and is not even in the team anymore. If you consider the number of young guns competing for the opening slot, Murali Vijay is slowly getting out of the race.

4. Ambati Rayudu

Six years in international cricket and played just 55 ODIs and 6 T20Is, such has been the story of the 35-year-old Ambati Rayudu, and it is a story which most probably is over.

Rayudu came into limelight when he captained India to the 2004 Under-19 World Cup semifinal. However, it took him nine years to finally play of India, hitting a half-century on debut versus England. He was also one of India’s tryouts for the number 4 slot in the One-Day internationals. In spite of a more than a decent average of 47.06, he was an in-and-out member of the squad.

After being neglected for the ICC World Cup 2019 in England and Wales, he announced his retirement from cricket. Less than two months since the announcement, he reverted his decision and was again available for selection. Rayudu last played a game more than a year ago and there are high chances that he won’t feature in an international game anymore.

5. Parthiv Patel

From being a 17-year-old teenager debuting for India in England to slowly sliding into oblivion, Parthiv Patel’s cricketing career has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride.

The story of Parthiv Patel will be better explained by ‘what could’ve been’ instead of ‘what actually was’. Part of that could be blamed on the pressure he was put under at a tender age, surrounded by India’s greatest superstars. Parthiv never really eased into the squad due to lack in consistency.

There were times in previous years when he was called up for playing but never fully capitalized on the chances. He was also the part of the Indian squad which won the first test series in Australia, although he didn’t get a game. The road ahead for the 35-year-old left-hander is not clear and it may be the case that there won’t be any more call-ups.