5 Indian players who missed out on the India Test squad for the West Indies series

The 15-man Test team for the forthcoming two-match series against the West Indies, which starts in Ahmedabad on October 2, was approved by the BCCI selection committee. Ravindra Jadeja has been appointed vice-captain, and Shubman Gill will remain the team's captain. Even though up to 11 players from the team that competed in England were kept, some players were left off the roster. Let's examine five of these players.

Advertisment

1. Karun Nair

Despite being praised for his undefeated triple century in his third Test, Karun Nair's performance in England was lacking. Because of the 33-year-old batter's lack of recent red-ball impact, the selectors decided to stick with Nitish Reddy, who is younger and appears to have more potential due to his all-around ability.

Nair only managed to score 205 runs over the four Test matches he played for India in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Despite his lone half-century, he was removed from the team since he did not make an impact on the series. The Karnataka batter was expected to be more consistent, according to chief selector Ajit Agarkar.

2. Abhimanyu Easwaran

Another casualty was Easwaran. Since the management believed there was no need for an extra opening batsman, the Bengal opener, who has long been on the periphery of Test selection, was discarded. Agarkar explained that Easwaran might be called up to the team halfway through the series if necessary. Rather, the selectors decided to add Axar Patel to bolster the all-around aspect.

He has been a part of the scheme of things for a long time, but has not been able to find the right opportunity with the team. Having been selected for so many series, he has yet to make his debut for the nation.

3. Arshdeep Singh

Another excluded player was Arshdeep Singh, who qualified for the England tour but did not get to play in any matches. The management decided to rely on pacers who have more expertise in Indian conditions, as the forthcoming series will be played at home.

He has been excellent in the chances he has had to represent the nation in the T20 Internationals and was seen as a potent weapon in the England tour. However, injuries at bad times and team balance did not allow him to make a debut, and now he is not even selected in the squad.

Advertisment

4. Akash Deep

Akash Deep played 3 Tests in England and accounted for the dismissal of 13 batters. The Bengal-based cricketer is not picked for the West Indies Tests and will instead play for the Rest of India (ROI) in the Irani Cup. 

He had put up a great performance in England. Bowling beautifully, he picked up wickets and then came on to score a brilliant half-century as a night watchman as well. He got injured and was ruled out of the rest of the series. However, he is fit now but has not been able to find his place back in the team.

5. Rishabh Pant

India's dynamic wicketkeeper-batter and regular vice captain, Rishabh Pant, is currently recuperating from a toe injury he suffered during the England series. He was having a terrific series where he had already played several impactful innings before being ruled out of the series. Due to his absence, wicketkeeping duties were taken on by Dhruv Jurel and Narayan Jagadeesan.

Pant has been a part of the team’s test setup for a very long time now and has won more matches than anybody else in the team, making him a runaway match winner.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky247 India and download the Sky247 app to start betting today!