The Indian cricket team is touring Australia for the second time in the space of two years. Earlier, the Indian team would pay a visit Down Under once in four years. However, this time, the Indian cricket team has gone with high expectations as they had won the Test series the last time they played against Australia away from home.
The BCCI has made some surprising changes to the squad. In just a gap of two years, ten players lost their place from the teams of different formats. Here’s a list of those ten Indian cricketers.
1.Krunal Pandya
Mumbai Indians all-rounder Krunal Pandya was a part of the Indian T20I squad in 2018. The southpaw played all three T20I matches against Australia. Pandya scalped five wickets and scored two runs in that series. His best performance was 4/36, but he is not a part of the squad this year.
2.MS Dhoni
The Man of the Series of last Australia vs. India ODI series played Down Under, MS Dhoni has retired from international cricket. Dhoni was an integral part of the Indian squad then.
The right-handed batsman played all 3 ODI matches. He amassed 193 runs for the team, with his highest score being 87*. Besides, his average was 193 in the series.
3.Kedar Jadhav
Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Kedar Jadhav was a crucial part of the Indian ODI team in 2018-19. The team management used him in one ODI match. Jadhav performed exceptionally well in that contest as he scored 61 runs off 57 deliveries. The right-handed batsman smacked seven fours in his inning.
4.Murali Vijay
Another Tamil Nadu-based player to feature on this list is Murali Vijay. The experienced opener played three matches for the Indian team on that tour. Vijay impressed everyone by scoring 178 runs in five innings. His highest score on that Australian tour of 2018-19 was 129. He recently played for CSK in IPL 2020.
5.Parthiv Patel
Parthiv Patel was named in the Test squad as a back-up wicket-keeper batsman. However, the excellent performance of Rishabh Pant ensured that Patel did not play.
The Gujarat-based player warmed the benches in Australia. This year, he warmed the benches for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2020.
6.Dinesh Karthik
Former Kolkata Knight Riders captain Dinesh Karthik was in the ODI and T20I teams of that tour. Karthik got a chance to play all six limited-overs matches.
The right-handed wicket-keeper batsman managed 89 runs at a scintillating strike rate of 134.84. But this year, he has not received a place in the squad.
7.Vijay Shankar
Popularly known as ‘3D Player, ‘ Vijay Shankar played one match on the previous Australian tour. The all-rounder bowled six overs in the game, returning with figures of 0/23. The Tamil Nadu-based cricketer did not get a chance to bat against the Aussies. He recently picked up an injury while playing for SRH in IPL 2020.
8.Khaleel Ahmed
Left-arm fast bowler Khaleel Ahmed was a member of the Indian limited-overs squad on the previous Australian tour. Khaleel got four opportunities to showcase his talent.
The rising star performed well as he picked up three wickets for the Men in Blue. However, his economy rate of 9 shows that he was very expensive as well.
9.Ambati Rayudu
The fans might be surprised to know that Ambati Rayudu even bowled a couple of overs against Australia in 2018/19. Rayudu played two matches, where he bowled two overs for the team. The former Mumbai Indians batsman could not impress much with the bat. He ended the tour with 24 runs to his name, including one duck.
10.Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Bhuvneshwar Kumar played a pivotal role in the success that India achieved on their previous Australian tour. He picked up ten wickets in six matches.
Unfortunately, the two-time Purple Cap winner will miss the upcoming series. He is currently injured, and the BCCI is monitoring his condition.
