IND vs NZ: Five star players who were ignored for the T20I series

The Indian Cricket Board announced the squad for the upcoming white-ball series against New Zealand on Friday. While there were some notable additions to the ODI side of wicketkeeper batter KS Bharat and Shahbaz Ahmed, experienced campaigners like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were once again ignored for the T20I series. Apart from these two, there were a few more notable exclusions from the T20I squad whose exclusions left fans disappointed. On that note, let’s take a look at the top five players who were ignored for India vs New Zealand T20I series:

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1 Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli (Source: Twitter)

After having a torrid time with the bat for the first half of 2022, the star batter returned to form in the second half and finished as the second-highest run scorer in the Asia Cup and the highest run scorer of 20-20 World Cup 2022. Despite performing exceedingly well in the World Cup, Kohli has been sidelined from the T20I squad as the focus will be on ODIs this year with the ODI World Cup approaching.

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2 Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma (Source: Twitter)

Rohit Sharma had a forgettable year with the bat in T20Is in 2022. His dismal performance came under the scanner after India’s semi-final exit in the tournament. Rohit scored 656 runs at an average of 24.29 in 29 innings with three half-centuries to his name. After the 20-20 World Cup debacle, there were widespread calls for Rohit Sharma to quit playing T20Is. The Indian captain has not made any official statement yet on his retirement but has not been considered in the team with Hardik Pandya taking the captaincy role.

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3 Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer (Source: Twitter)

Shreyas Iyer had a phenomenal first half in 2022 where he broke the record of most runs scored in a three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. Iyer scored 204 runs in three innings without getting out at a strike rate of 174.35. However, he couldn’t perform with the same consistency in the second half but still finished the year with 463 runs at an average of 35.61. Iyer has drastically improved as a batter in ODIs and deserved a chance in T20Is as well. However, he was once again sidelined given the tough competition for a spot in the side.

4 Ravi Bishnoi

Ravi Bishnoi (Source: Twitter)

Bishnoi had a remarkable first year in international cricket as he picked up 16 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 17.12. He bowled consistently well in the series against England, West Indies and the only match he played in the Asia Cup with his economy rate not crossing 6 in the last four matches. The 22-year-old was surprisingly dropped from the 20-20 World Cup squad as Ravichandran Ashwin was picked over him but he was added as a backup player. However, since then he has not been picked again and was once again ignored for the New Zealand series.

5 KL Rahul

KL Rahul (Source: Twitter)

KL Rahul was criticised for his conservative approach during the 20-20 World Cup. He scored 434 runs in 16 innings at an average of 28.93 and a strike rate of 126.53. The Indian Cricket Board has granted him leave from the New Zealand series for some family commitments. But it’s highly unlikely that Rahul will return to the T20I team as the board aims to revamp the side completely.