IND vs PAK: Players from last T20 WC who won’t play this year

Overview:

With the Indian Premier League on the cusp of yet another exhilarating conclusion, fans across the subcontinent have started gearing up for the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan match in the upcoming T20 World Cup scheduled in June. While both the teams seem formidable on paper, there are certain key players who will be absent from this year’s highly anticipated encounter.

The Asian archrivals India and Pakistan will be up against each other on the 9th of June at the newly constructed Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. Despite boasting a massive seating capacity of 34,000, surpassing renowned stadiums like the prestigious Lord’s Cricket Ground in England, fans in and around New York are struggling to secure tickets for this iconic encounter.

Last time when the two Asian giants met during the ODI World Cup in Ahmedabad, the Men in Blue were successful in safeguarding their triumphant streak against the Green Shirts. Conversely, the Pakistan Cricket Team has also dealt some significant setbacks to Team India in the recent years. From their emphatic triumph over India in the 2017 Champions Trophy finals to vanquishing them by a ginormous 10 wickets in the 2021 T20 World Cup to register their maiden victory over the Men In Blue in the history of the tournament, Pakistan cricket has undoubtedly made significant strides.

The last T20 World Cup encounter between the two teams was an unnerving episode for the Pakistan fans, with Virat Kohli’s adept wrist play and astute match reading skills playing a pivotal role in helping India clinch an inconceivable victory in a match where the Men in Green were cruising quite comfortably. Despite Kohli’s incredible knock, it was Ravi Ashwin who was left with the daunting task of finishing the match with 2 runs needed off the last ball. Ashwin’s nonchalance and presence of mind were instrumental in securing the victory at a juncture when India were six down and needed 2 runs off the last one ball with Kohli off-strike.

Ashwin’s heroics led India to one of their most memorable victories over their arch rivals and consequently stimulated a wave of jubilation and enthusiasm that spread across the length and breadth of the nation.

Here is the link to video of Ashwin’s heroic performance: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=6317201625029490

Despite an unforgettable run in the last edition of the tournament, Ashwin failed to secure a place in Team India’s squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Alongside Ashwin, there are quite a few Indian players who won’t be seen donning the blue jersey when India face Pakistan on the 9th of June at the Nassau County Stadium in New York.

IND vs PAK: Players from last T20 WC who won’t play this year

1.KL Rahul:

While KL Rahul’s exclusion from the 15 member squad initially came off as a massive blow to many, it was later communicated by the authorities that the decision was taken to bolster the team’s batting strength by reinforcing the middle-order lineup.

3.Dinesh Karthik:

With the BCCI’s focus on strengthening India’s middle-order batting, selecting a powerful finisher like Dinesh Karthik seemed like an obvious choice. However, the BCCI ended up surprising the Indian fans yet again by picking Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson over Dinesh Karthik. Overall, Sanju has lately been in better touch with the bat and has consistently produced match-winning knocks for the Royals in the recent past. This might just have one of the major reasons causing DK to lose out his spot to Sanju.

4.Bhuvneshwar Kumar:

Indubitably, this man has been one of the most seasoned fast bowlers that team India has ever had. With his unparalleled adeptness to swing the ball in both the directions, Bhuvi is an undisputed champion of swing deliveries. However Bhuvi’s career spanning over a decade has been rife with multiple injuries that have had a detrimental impact on the man’s fast bowling prowess resulting in a significant decline in Bhuvi’s pace deliveries. This might have been a key reason behind BCCI’s decision to drop Bhuvneshwar Kumar from the 15 member-squad.

5.Ravichandran Ashwin:

Despite being one of the best all-rounders that India has produced, Ravi Ashwin couldn’t secure a place in this year’s T20 World Cup. As per reports there is a 2-fold reason behind BCCI’s decision to drop the man who played a pivotal role during India’s last T20 World Cup outing against Pakistan.

Since the BCCI has been steadfast in its goal of bolstering India’s middle order batting, Ashwin’s exclusion may have helped pave the way for someone like Shivam Dube who has been consistently proved his mettle as a skillful T20 batter for the Chennai Super Kings in the past few seasons. Though it might not be considered as a like for like substitution, Dube can also bowl, thereby providing the team with that bowling cushion in crunch moments.

Second and the most prominent reason, despite a wonderful run in the past few years, Ravi Ashwin hasn’t been on the top of his game off-late and has failed to provide the crucial breakthroughs that are often expected of him.

Though, I am an ardent follower of most of the players who have been dropped from this year’s T20 WC squad, I wouldn’t hesitate in acknowledging the sheer strength and balance in the 15 member squad selected by the BCCI.

Here is a link to a mesmerizing unheard tale from India’s 2007 T20 WC winning campaign:https://cricwallah.com/when-ms-dhoni-handed-his-gloves-to-dinesh-karthik-during-t20-world-cup/