The Indian cricket team is a juggernaut in the cricketing realm, a machine constantly churning out fresh talent. While some players carve their names in history, others find their time fleeting, a brief flicker in the spotlight before disappearing into the shadows. This year, 2023, was no different. We saw four promising stars make their T20I debuts, each bringing unique skills and hopes to the national team. However, as the year draws to a close, their stories have become cautionary tales, a reminder of the fickle nature of cricketing fortunes.
This year, the senior Indian team players were busy in preparation for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 that was played in India, thus, we witnessed hugely rotated squad in the T20I format, including the Asian Games where the Indian team won the Gold Medal under Ruturaj Gaikwad’s captaincy. A number of youngsters made their debut this year but now finds themselves missing from the squad. Let’s take a look at 4 of those players.
Shivam Mavi
The young paceman from Uttar Pradesh had pace, swing, and the swagger of a natural match-winner. His debut against Sri Lanka was electric, taking four wickets and announcing his arrival with a bang. But, after that, the pacer failed to keep his performance to the level and eventually faded away as quickly as he rose, leaving behind unanswered questions about his unfulfilled potential.
Rahul Tripathi
The stylish southpaw from Maharashtra was a late bloomer, finally earning his T20I cap in his 30s. His aggressive batting and calm head promised much. He made his debut against Sri Lanka earlier in the year. The first match didn’t go quite as planned but played a brilliant inning of 35 runs of 16 balls with a strike rate of 218 in the 2nd match. Next two matches was nothing special but again displayed his agressive batting nature, scoring 44 runs from 22 balls with a strike rate of 200. But since after the series vs New Zealand, Tripathi has not got anymore chances to feature for the Men in Blue.
Shahbaz Ahmed
The Bengal all-rounder, Shahbaz Ahmed, was a three-dimensional player – a handy batsman, a tight bowler, and a livewire fielder. He made his T20I debut against Bangladesh and featured in a total of 2 matches for India. In those outing, he has taken only 2 wickets and did not get a chance with the bat. He became a victim of India’s spin bowling riches, falling behind the likes of Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi in the pecking order. His dream of becoming a regular sadly remains unfulfilled.
Sai Kishore
The Tamil Nadu left-arm spinner, Sai Kishore, had mystery and control, turning the ball like a magician. He made his debut in the victorious Asian Games campaign where he played 3 matches and took 4 wickets. Again, just like Shahbaz Ahmed, Sai Kishore is one of many spin bowling option that India has and finds himself lower down the order in the pecking order.
