the top 5 unlucky Indian cricketers, highlighting talented players who, despite their potential and performances, missed out on extended careers due to injuries, competition, or selection issues.
5. Sheldon Jackson
Sheldon Jackson has been in the domestic cricket circuit for years. During the 2012 and 2013 Ranji Trophy seasons, he smashed four half-centuries and three centuries for his home side. He was picked up by the Kolkata Knight Riders during the 2009 auction.
But, till now, he has been able to play only four games in the Indian Premier League. However, Jackson made it to India A team for a series against West Indies A side in 2013. After a couple of years, he played a vital role for Saurashtra in 2015 and 2016.
Apart from being a rare talent with the bat, Jackson is a fitness freak. He has posted multiple pictures on Instagram related to fitness. Talking about luck, this fitness enthusiast was unlucky to miss out on the Sri Lankan tour which is being captained by Shikhar Dhawan and coached by Rahul Dravid.
4. Abhinav Mukund
Abhinav Mukund is another batsman who is a legend in the domestic circuit but failed to make it big at the international level. He made the headlines when he shared an opening partnership of 400 runs with Murali Vijay. Mukund was a part of the U19 squad in 2008.
Although Mukund had a poor outing in 2008, he went on to score a triple hundred in Ranji cricket later on. He displayed immense mental strength and batting ability. His performance was so solid that he was picked for the national side that toured the West Indies.
The last time Mukund played an international game for India was in 2017 against Sri Lanka. But, even though there is some instability at the opener’s slot, his chances to make it to the side are slim. Adding on, he is now 31 years old, which makes it even more difficult for him.
3. Murali Kartik
We now see Murali Kartik in the commentary box. But, before he took up the mic, he was a fantastic spinner. He was an asset on spinning pitches. Kartik is one of the few players who was recalled into the squad while he was a member of the commentary team.
Kartik played 8 Test matches for India. In those matches, he has picked 24 wickets with the best bowling figure of 4/44. He made his debut against South Africa at the Wankhede Stadium in 2000. But, his Test career spanned only four years.
In ODIs, Murali played 37 games and picked the same amount of wickets. In that format, he has the best bowling figure of 6/27. Well, Murali was unlucky as during his playing days, Kumble and Harbhajan were at their prime. Hence, he failed to make it to the national squad.
2. Parthiv Patel
Parthiv Patel became the youngest wicketkeeper to make Test debut at the age of 17 when he became the 244th Test player for India. He was technically sound and a safe wicketkeeper. His skills enabled him to join the India squad during the 2003 World Cup.
But, Rahul Dravid provided more cushion as he was dependable and a safe keeper. This meant that Sourav Ganguly could include an extra bowler in the squad. As the team’s stability was in question, Parthiv had to warm the benches.
Later on, as MS Dhoni entered the scene, Parthiv was again excluded. Dhoni offered more power, more security with the gloves. Hence, he made it to the playing eleven. In his career, Parthiv played just 25 Test matches and scored 934 runs. This is way too low for a player who started his international career at the age of 17.
1. Wasim Jaffer
The legendary Wasim Jaffer is one of the highest run-scorers in the Ranji Trophy. He had a strong wrist and could occupy the crease for a long time. His success in the domestic arena enabled him to make it to the national side in 2000. But, he managed just 46 runs from 4 innings during a series against South Africa.
Later on, he toured England and was dropped once again. But, his domestic form ensured that he had the attention of the selectors. He formed a formidable opening pair with Dinesh Karthik during his second tour to England.
In 2007, he scored a magnificent double century against Pakistan in Kolkata. Even though he proved himself to be a classic batsman, the emergence of Gambhir and the success of Sehwag meant he was not regularly picked up in the Test squad. There is no doubt that Jaffer could have made it big on the international stage, but his luck was never with him.