Indian cricket has consistently produced exceptionally talented players in every era, across all aspects of the game. Yet, as the saying goes, talent alone isn’t always enough to achieve lasting success. In cricket, thriving at the international level demands not only skill but also the right temperament, a bit of luck, and strong support from team management and selectors. Here’s a look at some gifted Indian cricketers who, despite their talent, couldn’t fully realize their potential on the international stage.
5. Irfan Pathan
For cricket fans of 2000s, Irfan Pathan will forever remain an unfulfilled dream, a folk hero, who slayed hearts for fun. Having broken in the Indian team during the 2003-04 tour of Australia, Irfan Pathan turned heads with his ability to move the ball both ways and at pace. That he could nail the yorker at will made him even more potent.
Pathan soon established himself as the leader of the pack between 2004-06 but a combination of factors which includes the team management’s obsession with turning him into an all-rounder, the change in his bowling action that resulted in him losing the ability to swing the ball at pace and poor handling by the management meant that Pathan was no longer the first-choice seamer by the time 2007 rolled around. He, however, reinvented himself into a seam-bowling all-rounder and came up with brilliant performances during the 2007 T20 WC and the succeeding tour of Australia where he played a stellar role with both bat and ball to help India win the Perth Test. However, he was dropped from the Test team during the home series against South Africa and was never considered again.
A string of injuries and the lack of support by the team management meant that Pathan remained out of favor from white-ball formats for the next three years. He made a return to the ODI and T20I team in 2012 but despite him taking a five-wicket haul against Sri Lanka, he never played another 50-over game for India again. Pathan, who announced his retirement in 2020, claimed a total of 301 wickets in 173 international games besides scoring 2821 runs.
Here’s a table format summarizing Irfan Pathan’s cricket career:
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Irfan Khan Pathan |
| Role | All-rounder (Left-arm medium-fast bowler, Left-handed batsman) |
| Born | October 27, 1984, Baroda, Gujarat, India |
| International Debut | Test: December 12, 2003, vs Australia ODI: January 9, 2004, vs Australia |
| Test Career | Matches: 29 Wickets: 100 Bowling Average: 32.26 Runs: 1,105 Batting Average: 31.57 |
| ODI Career | Matches: 120 Wickets: 173 Bowling Average: 29.72 Runs: 1,544 Batting Average: 23.39 |
| T20I Career | Matches: 24 Wickets: 28 Bowling Average: 22.07 Runs: 172 Batting Average: 24.57 |
| Notable Achievements | Hat-trick against Pakistan in 2006 (Test match) Key member of India’s 2007 ICC T20 World Cup-winning team |
| Key Skills | Swing bowling, Power-hitting |
| Challenges | Injuries, Form fluctuations |
| Retirement | January 4, 2020 |
4. Robin Uthappa
Another supremely talented cricketer from the mid-2000s who should have played a lot more for India than he eventually did, is Karnataka’s Robin Uthappa.
A flamboyant cricketer blessed with the ability to take down attacks with both textbook as well as unorthodox cricketing shots, Robin Uthappa played a plethora of brilliant knocks for Team India during 2006-08 following his dream debut against England in early 2006 where he smashed a whirlwind 86. Uthappa helped India gun down a total in excess of 300 during the 2007 NatWest Trophy and he backed it up with some impactful innings during the 2007 T20 World Cup.
However, his form dipped after the 2008 Asia Cup and with the emergence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Uthappa was sidelined from the national team. He continued to score runs in the IPL and for Karnataka and after a stellar 2013/14 season, he once again earned a call-up to the Indian team. However, lack of consistency once again proved to be his bane and he was once again sidelined in 2015. Uthappa represented India in 46 ODIs and 13 T20Is and managed just 934 and 249 runs at an average of 25.94 and 24.9 respectively.
| Format | Matches | Runs | Batting Average | Strike Rate | 100s/50s | Highest Score | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | – | – | – | – | – | – | Batsman/Wicketkeeper |
| ODI | 46 | 934 | 25.94 | 90.98 | 0/6 | 86 | Batsman/Wicketkeeper |
| T20I | 13 | 249 | 24.90 | 118.01 | 0/0 | 50 | Batsman/Wicketkeeper |
| First-Class | 142 | 9446 | 40.48 | – | 22/52 | 162 | Batsman |
| List A | 203 | 6951 | 35.31 | – | 10/44 | 162 | Batsman |
| T20 | 291 | 7272 | 27.51 | 133.08 | 0/38 | 92 | Batsman |
3. Pragyan Ojha
A prodigiously talented left-arm spinner, Pragyan Ojha was touted as one of India’s bedrocks in the spin department in the post-Kumble-Harbhajan era. Ojha made his Test debut against Sri Lanka during the 2009 home series and during the course of the next 4 years, he went on to claim a total of 113 wickets at an average of 30.27.
After Harbhajan Singh was dropped from the Test team in 2011, Ojha had begun to forge a successful partnership with R. Ashwin. During the 2011/12 season, he claimed 5 or more wickets nine times. He was also the highest wicket-taker during the 2012 series against England which India lost 1-2. However, with the emergence of Ravindra Jadeja, Ojha soon lost his place as Ashwin’s premier partner in the Test team. He, however, continued to play Test cricket for India till the 2013 series against the West Indies. Ojha claimed ten wickets in Sachin Tendulkar’s final Test and was adjudged the “Player of the Match”. But little did he know that it would also prove to be his final Test for Team India. A home conditions specialist, Ojha was banned from bowling due to suspect action in 2014 and he was never considered for selection again.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Pragyan Prayash Ojha |
| Born | September 5, 1986, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India |
| Batting Style | Left-handed |
| Bowling Style | Slow left-arm orthodox |
| International Debut | ODI: June 28, 2008, vs Bangladesh Test: November 24, 2009, vs Sri Lanka |
| International Career | 2008–2013 |
| Total Test Matches | 24 |
| Total ODI Matches | 18 |
| Test Wickets | 113 wickets at an average of 30.26 |
| ODI Wickets | 21 wickets at an average of 31.05 |
| Key Achievement | Part of the team that won the ICC Test Championship Mace in 2010 |
| 5-wicket Hauls in Tests | 7 |
| Career Setback | Reported for a suspect bowling action in 2014 |
| Action Correction | Cleared to play after remodifying his action |
| Last International Match | November 2013, vs West Indies (Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell series) |
| Domestic and IPL Career | Played for teams like Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, and Deccan Chargers |
| Current Status | Retired from all forms of cricket in 2020 |
2. Manoj Tiwary
One of the biggest unfulfilled stores of Indian cricket in the past 20 years, it will forever be a mystery as to why Manoj Tiwary never got a chance to play consistently for the national team despite his stellar performances in domestic cricket and in whatever chances he got to play for India. Tiwary made his ODI debut for India against Australia at the Gabba during the 2008 CB series but it was only during the 2011/12 season that he got regular chances to play for the country. He scored his maiden ton during the 5th ODI against the West Indies in 2011 but was once again dropped from the team. The Bengal cricketer made a return to the side for the Sri Lanka series in mid-2012 where he scored a 65 in the 4th ODI but he was once again dumped as the Indian management continued to back Rohit Sharma despite his lean patch.
Tiwary played a few ODIs in 2014-15 against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe before being dropped forever. He did not play a single Test for his country despite his brilliant FC record. In 125 FC games, Manoj Tiwary racked up 8965 runs at an average of 50.36 with 27 tons. His List-A numbers are equally good. In 163 50-over games, the Bengal cricketer scored 5466 runs at an average of 42.37 with 6 three-figure scores.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Manoj Kumar Tiwary |
| Date of Birth | November 14, 1985 |
| Place of Birth | Howrah, West Bengal, India |
| Batting Style | Right-handed |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm leg break |
| Role | Batsman / Occasional Bowler |
| Domestic Team | Bengal (2004–present) |
| IPL Teams | Delhi Daredevils, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rising Pune Supergiants |
| ODI Debut | February 3, 2008, vs Australia |
| Last ODI | July 5, 2015, vs Zimbabwe |
| ODI Matches Played | 12 |
| ODI Runs Scored | 287 |
| Batting Average (ODIs) | 26.09 |
| Top ODI Score | 104* (against West Indies) |
| ODI 100s / 50s | 1 / 1 |
| T20I Matches Played | No T20I matches for India |
| Domestic Cricket | Known for consistent performances with Bengal, often among top run-scorers in domestic circuits, including the Ranji Trophy |
| Memorable Performance | Scored 104* in an ODI against the West Indies in 2011, showcasing his potential |
| Challenges Faced | Frequent injuries and inconsistent selection at the national level, leading to limited opportunities despite domestic success |
| Current Role | Continues to play domestic cricket for Bengal; transitioned into a role in politics as Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs in West Bengal (2021–present) |
1. Pravin Amre
A prolific run-scorer in domestic cricket, a batsman who was the epitome of grit, composure, resilience, Pravin Amre is another cricketer who should have played more Test cricket for Team India than he eventually did. Belonging to a rare breed of batters who have made a Test hundred on debut on overseas soil, Pravin Amre gave a good account of himself as he smashes a classy hundred against the likes of Donald, Pringle, McMillan in Durban in 1992.
However, Amre, who continued to score heavily in domestic cricket, was unceremoniously dropped from the Test team two seasons later. Amre, who holds the record for the highest individual score (246)?? in a Duleep Trophy fixture, featured in just 11 Tests in which he racked up 425 runs at an average of 42.5 with three 50s and one hundred. As far as his domestic numbers are concerned, he scored 5815 runs in 86 FC games at an average of 48.86 with 17 tons. Amre is now actively involved in coaching where he has honed the skills of several upcoming cricketers.
| Career Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Pravin Kalyan Amre |
| Born | August 14, 1968 |
| Country | India |
| Role | Batsman |
| Batting Style | Right-handed |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm leg break |
| International Debut (Test) | November 13, 1992, vs South Africa |
| Last Test | November 1993, vs Sri Lanka |
| International Debut (ODI) | December 10, 1991, vs South Africa |
| Last ODI | October 1994, vs West Indies |
| Total Test Matches | 11 |
| Total Runs (Tests) | 425 |
| Batting Average (Tests) | 42.50 |
| 100s/50s in Tests | 1/3 |
| Top Score (Tests) | 103 |
| Total ODI Matches | 37 |
| Total Runs (ODIs) | 513 |
| Batting Average (ODIs) | 20.52 |
| 100s/50s in ODIs | 0/2 |
| Top Score (ODIs) | 84 |
| Domestic Career | Extensive and successful |
| Notable Achievement | Test century on debut (against South Africa, 1992) |