Sunil Valson is one of the most well-known Indian players. He is known for holding a unique record in cricket history. Valson is the only player who never represented India in any international match, but he ended up winning the ODI World Cup with the team in the year 1983.
There has not been any player like Valson in Indian cricket history. However, there have been four such instances in 2023, where the tournament champions team featured such an Indian player who neither contributed with the bat nor with the ball in the competition. Here’s a list of five such players.
1. One of the prominent Indian players – Washington Sundar
All-rounder Washington Sundar joined the Indian squad as a replacement for Axar Patel in Asia Cup 2023 Final. The off-spinner was a last-minute replacement and did not play in any of the group stage or Super Fours round matches. India won the match against Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in the final and Sundar neither batted nor bowled.
2. One of the upcoming Indian players – Subhranshu Senapati
Uncapped Indian batter Subhranshu Senapati was present in the CSK squad that won the IPL 2023 tournament. Since all top batters were available for CSK, they did not try out Senapati this season.
3. Shaik Rasheed
Another upcoming Indian batter to feature on the list is Shaik Rasheed. The 18-year-old player was present in the Chennai Super Kings team as well, but he did not get any chances to play for the franchise.
4. Bhagath Varma
Uncapped all-rounder Bhagath Varma achieved the rare feat of winning two IPL trophies before playing a single match in the tournament. He won with CSK in 2021 and this year as well.
5. Ajay Mandal
Left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Ajay Mandal was present in the Chennai Super Kings squad as well. He was expected to be a backup for Ravindra Jadeja and Mitchell Santner, but he did not get a chance to play.
