Indian cricketers with most Tests missed between two appearances

In the ongoing first Test match between England and India, right-hand batter Karun Nair made a resounding comeback to the playing XI, following finishing the fourth-leading run-scorer in the Ranji Trophy and as the leading run-scorer in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in the 2024-25 season.

Apart from Karun, there have been many more instances when Indian cricketers have had to wait for a long period to find a spot in the playing XI. A country that produces a massive number of cricketers each year and has a competitive domestic cricketing culture, making it to the national side becomes a challenging and tough task.

Here are 5 cricketers with most Tests missed between two appearances for India:

5. Abhinav Mukund - 56 Test matches missed

Abhinav Mukund’s international career, which spanned just 7 Test matches, saw him wait for 56 games between two of his appearances, from the England tour in 2011 to the home Test against Australia in Bengaluru, 2017. The left-handed batter made his debut in 2011 against the West Indies when Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were injured. After a decent start, he was dropped from the squad and returned to domestic cricket.

His brilliant form in the 2016–17 Ranji season, scoring 849 runs with four centuries, brought him back into the setup. On his return against Australia, Mukund struggled, scoring 0 and 16 in Bengaluru. But he found form again in Galle later that year, posting his highest Test score of 81. Despite his contribution, he never returned to the Indian team again, ending his career with 320 runs in seven matches. He is currently a commentator at JioStar.