Five Indian players who were part of World Cup team but didn't play a game

Playing for the country and being part of the World Cup team is a great privilege for any individual. A player also wants to be a part of the action, and get at least a game in the showpiece event. However, it is not easy to get a game for every player in the squad. After all, there are only limited slots in the team with more claimers to those spots.

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Also, team selection is a difficult job with a lot of calculations that go. This is why there is a big chance of some players travelling with the team throughout a tournament but don't get a game. There are a lot of examples from across the globe. However, we have chosen five Indian players who went through this phase.

Five players who didn't play a World Cup game despite being part of the team

Ambati Rayudu (Image Credit : Twitter)

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1. Ambati Rayudu

The right-hander was part of the 2015 World Cup played in Australia and New Zealand. The team won every game before losing to Australia in the semifinal. Rayudu didn't play a single game of the tournament.

It could be reasoned that he was having a tough time in the Australian conditions. He was batting at number four leading up to the World Cup. However, ahead of the tournament, he lost his form and was overlooked during the tournament. 

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Sanjay Bangar (Image Credit : Twitter)

2. Sanjay Bangar

Bangalore's head coach in the Indian T20 League was part of the 2003 World Cup team. The Sourav Ganguly-led side made it to the final. They lost to Australia in the final. Meanwhile, a lot of players did well in the tournament.

Bangar, who was part of the team, didn't get to play a game. Most of it has to do with the fact that the team won a lot of games which is why they didn't think of changing the playing XI too much. He might wonder what if the theory of continuity didn't exist in cricket. 

Parthiv Patel (Image Credit : Twitter)

3. Parthiv Patel

The pocket-sized dynamite made his international debut in 2002. Hardly within a year after this, he was named in the 2003 World Cup squad. However, the team was doing well with Rahul Dravid behind the stumps.

This is the reason the team didn't look towards the Gujarat player. He might have thought what if the team management decided to rest a few players in an inconsequential game. 

Dinesh Karthik (Image Credit : Twitter)

4. Dinesh Karthik

Currently, the right-hander has become a fan favourite. After all, he has made his comeback in the age where cricketers consider retirement. Meanwhile, some fans might remember him being part of the 2007 20-20 World Cup team.

He took a brilliant catch in a must-win Super Eight game against South Africa. Also, he kept wickets for a few overs. However, there is a catch. The Tamil Nadu player wasn't part of any playing XI fielded during the entire tournament. 

Irfan Pathan (Image Credit : Twitter)

5. Irfan Pathan

The former all-rounder was part of the 2007 'disastrous' ODI World Cup team. The team played three games before being crashed out of the tournament. The Men In Blue lost to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and won against Bermuda.

With the likes of Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar, and Munaf Patel in the team, Pathan didn't get a chance to play a single game. This was India's worst performance in the World Cup since 1992.