Indian cricket has consistently been fortunate to have exceptionally skilled cricketers in every aspect of the game throughout its history.
Nevertheless, as the saying goes, skill is not the sole factor that can propel one to success in life. Cricket follows the same pattern.
In addition to skill, it is crucial to possess the required mindset, good fortune, and support from team management and selectors in order to excel on the global stage.
With that being said, let's take a glimpse at the skilled Indian cricketers who couldn't quite make it to the top of international cricket:
Vinod Kambli
Regarded as the upcoming sensation in Indian cricket, alongside his close companion Sachin Tendulkar, Vinod Kambli serves as a prime illustration of the fact that skill alone is insufficient to establish a prosperous career on the global stage.
After making his Test debut against England in 1993, Kambli had a remarkable beginning to his career in the longer format of the game by scoring a sensational double-century in only his second Test match. He continued his impressive streak by hitting another double century against Zimbabwe, and then followed it up with a century against Sri Lanka. This remarkable feat makes him the sole cricketer to achieve scores of 100 or more runs in three innings against three different opponents.
Unfortunately, his initial excitement quickly faded when he struggled to handle the challenging deliveries from the West Indies fast bowlers in 1994.
Due to his lack of technical skills and numerous off-field antics, Kambli was not selected for Test cricket after 1995.
He continued playing ODI cricket until 2000. However, his erratic performances prevented him from securing a fixed position in the starting lineup.
Kambli ultimately concluded his career with a mere 17 Tests and 104 ODIs to his credit, during which he accumulated 1084 and 2477 runs with batting averages of 54.2 and 32.59, respectively.
Maninder Singh
Regarded as the heir to Bishan Singh Bedi, Maninder Singh needed to fulfil his true potential.
Endowed with exceptional abilities and a wide range of talents, Maninder Singh was anticipated to shatter all records. However, regrettably, he was unable to convert his skill into a consistent performance on the international stage.
Singh's Test debut came against Pakistan in 1982 when he was just 17 years old. However, it turned out to be a challenging experience for him as he was unable to take any wickets.
In the 1986/87 season, he had an absolutely magical run, delivering outstanding performances against England, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan.
Unfortunately, his lacklustre displays against the West Indies in 1988 resulted in him being dropped from the team. He was called back for the 1989 tour of Pakistan, but once again, he struggled to leave a mark, only taking two wickets in three games.
Singh was excluded from both the Test and ODI squads, and despite his comeback in 1993 after a five-year hiatus, he struggled to secure a permanent spot in the starting lineup.
After his impressive performance of taking 3/79 and 4/66 in a Test match against Zimbabwe, Maninder's future with the Indian team was unfortunately not pursued further.
He concluded his career with a modest tally of 35 Tests and 59 ODIs. Throughout his time on the pitch, he achieved a total of 88 wickets in Tests and 66 wickets in ODIs, with respective averages of 37.36 and 31.3.
Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra, a talented batsman, showcased his resilience in challenging situations and made significant contributions to Team India throughout his relatively short international career.
His collaborations with Virender Sehwag during the 2003/04 Australian tour played a vital role in India's establishment of substantial scores. However, in contrast to his performance in domestic cricket, Chopra needed help to turn his promising starts into big scores. Unfortunately, when he lost his form, this weakness in his game proved to be detrimental.
Chopra appeared in 10 Tests for India from 2003-04, managing to accumulate 437 runs at an average of 23. Despite only achieving two half-centuries, his contributions were noteworthy. He was ultimately omitted from the team during the home series against Australia in late 2004 and was never called back.
Despite this, the cricketer from Delhi consistently accumulated runs in domestic matches for both his state team, Delhi and later Rajasthan. He ended his career with an impressive tally of 10,839 runs in 162 first-class games, including 29 centuries.
Ajay Sharma
A prolific batsman in Indian domestic cricket during the 1980s and 90s, Ajay Sharma will always be remembered as one of the countless untapped talents in Indian cricket.
Numerous individuals may view Sharma's career as a symbol of letdown for two specific reasons. To begin with, it is worth noting that despite having an impressive batting average that ranked third among all players with over 10,000 runs in first-class cricket, Ajay Sharma only had the opportunity to play in a single Test match for India. This occurred during the 1987/88 series against the West Indies.
Sharma's batting contributions of 31 and 23 in two innings were unfortunately not enough to earn him another chance to represent his country in Test cricket, despite his consistent performances at the domestic level. During his cricket career from 1988 to 1993, he played in a total of 31 One-Day Internationals (ODIs). However, his performance in these matches was rather underwhelming, as he only scored 424 runs with an average of 20.19. Additionally, he only managed to hit three half-centuries.
Nevertheless, he consistently racked up impressive scores in domestic cricket. In 1996/97, Sharma achieved the remarkable feat of being just the third batter to amass over 1000 runs in a single season. He appeared in six Ranji finals and managed to score centuries in four of them.
Furthermore, his career came to an unexpected halt in 2000 due to his purported participation in the match-fixing controversy, which led to a lifetime ban. After 14 years, he was ultimately cleared of all the accusations against him.
Sharma has appeared in 129 first-class matches, accumulating 10,120 runs at an outstanding average of 67.46, including 38 centuries.
Pragyan Ojha
Pragyan Ojha, a remarkably gifted left-arm spinner, was considered to be a crucial asset for India's spin department after the Kumble-Harbhajan era.
Ojha's Test career began in 2009 when he played against Sri Lanka in a home series. Over the following four years, he secured an impressive tally of 113 wickets, with an average of 30.27.
Following Harbhajan Singh's exclusion from the Test team in 2011, Ojha started to establish a fruitful collaboration with R. Ashwin. Throughout the 2011/12 season, he secured five or more wickets on nine separate occasions.
In the 2012 series against England, he emerged as the top wicket-taker despite India's 1-2 loss. Nevertheless, with the rise of Ravindra Jadeja, Ojha quickly fell out of favour as Ashwin's primary companion in the Test team.
Nevertheless, he persisted in participating in Test cricket for India until the 2013 series against the West Indies.
Ojha took ten wickets in Sachin Tendulkar's last Test and was named the "Player of the Match". However, unbeknownst to him, this would ultimately be his last Test match representing Team India.
Ojha, a specialist in assessing home conditions, was banned from bowling in 2014 due to concerns about his actions. Unfortunately, this ban prevented him from being considered for selection in the future.
Manoj Tiwary
Manoj Tiwary's exclusion from the national team remains an enigma, considering his exceptional performances in domestic cricket and limited opportunities to represent India. It is genuinely baffling why he was never given a consistent chance to showcase his talent on the international stage.
Tiwary's ODI journey with India began at the Gabba in 2008, when he made his debut against Australia in the CB series. However, it was in the 2011/12 season that he started receiving consistent opportunities to represent his country.
He achieved his first century during the 5th One Day International against the West Indies in 2011, but was once again excluded from the team. The Bengal cricketer reappeared in the team during the Sri Lanka series in mid-2012, showcasing his skills with a commendable score of 65 in the 4th ODI. However, despite his performance, he was once again excluded from the team as the Indian management persisted in supporting Rohit Sharma despite his recent lacklustre form.
Tiwary was featured in a handful of ODIs during the 2014-15 season, facing off against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe before being excluded indefinitely. Despite his impressive performance in first-class cricket, he was never given the opportunity to represent his country in a Test match.
Throughout 125 first-class games, Manoj Tiwary accumulated an impressive total of 8965 runs, boasting an average of 50.36. Notably, he achieved this feat with a remarkable 27 centuries under his belt. His List-A statistics are equally impressive. Throughout 163 matches played, the talented cricketer from Bengal managed to accumulate a fantastic total of 5466 runs, maintaining an average of 42.37. Notably, this remarkable achievement includes an impressive six instances of scoring three-figure runs.
Robin Uthappa
Robin Uthappa, a highly skilled cricketer from Karnataka in the mid-2000s, deserved more opportunities to represent India than he actually received. He showcased immense talent on the pitch.
Robin Uthappa, a dynamic cricketer with a knack for dismantling oppositions using both traditional and unconventional cricketing strokes, showcased a multitude of exceptional innings for Team India between 2006-08. His remarkable debut against England in early 2006, where he blazed an explosive 86, marked the beginning of his impressive journey.
Uthappa played a crucial role in India's successful chase of a score over 300 in the 2007 NatWest Trophy, and he followed it up with some impressive performances during the 2007 T20 World Cup.
Nevertheless, his performance declined following the 2008 Asia Cup, and due to the rise of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Uthappa found himself excluded from the national team. He kept on racking up runs in the IPL and for Karnataka, and following an impressive 2013/14 season, he once more received a selection for the Indian team. Unfortunately, his lack of reliability once again proved to be his downfall, and he was once again overlooked in 2015.
Uthappa had the opportunity to play for India in 46 ODIs and 13 T20Is, but unfortunately, he could only score 934 and 249 runs with an average of 25.94 and 24.9 respectively.
Pravin Amre
Pravin Amre, a highly accomplished batsman in domestic cricket, possessed an exceptional combination of determination, poise, and tenacity. Given his remarkable skills, it is unfortunate that he did not get more opportunities to represent Team India in Test cricket.
Pravin Amre, a member of a select group of batters who achieved the remarkable feat of scoring a century in their debut Test match on foreign soil, showcased his exceptional skills by smashing an elegant hundred against formidable bowlers such as Donald, Pringle and McMillan in Durban in 1992.
Nevertheless, Amre, who consistently performed exceptionally well in domestic cricket, was unexpectedly removed from the Test team after two seasons.
Amre, who has the distinction of achieving the highest individual score (246) in a Duleep Trophy match, appeared in only 11 Test matches, accumulating 425 runs at an impressive average of 42.5. His performance includes three half-centuries and one century.
In terms of his domestic statistics, he accumulated an impressive total of 5815 runs in 86 first-class matches, maintaining an outstanding average of 48.86 and achieving 17 centuries.
Amre is currently deeply engaged in coaching, where he has perfected the abilities of numerous aspiring cricketers.
Irfan Pathan
For cricket enthusiasts of the 2000s, Irfan Pathan will always be remembered as a captivating figure, a beloved hero who captured the hearts of fans effortlessly.
After making his debut for the Indian team during the 2003-04 tour of Australia, Irfan Pathan quickly caught everyone's attention with his impressive skill of swinging the ball in both directions and with great speed. His ability to consistently deliver the yorker with precision made him even more formidable.
Pathan quickly emerged as the frontrunner from 2004-06, but various factors, such as the team management's excessive focus on transforming him into a versatile player, alterations to his bowling technique that led to a decline in his ability to generate pace and swing, and inadequate handling by the management, resulted in Pathan losing his status as the preferred fast bowler by 2007.
He, on the other hand, transformed himself into a versatile player who excelled in both bowling and batting. He showcased his exceptional skills during the 2007 T20 World Cup and the subsequent tour of Australia, where he played a crucial role in India's victory in the Perth Test.
Unfortunately, he was excluded from the Test team during the home series against South Africa and was never given another opportunity.
Due to a series of injuries and a lack of support from team management, Pathan was sidelined from white-ball formats for the following three years.
After his comeback to the ODI and T20I squad in 2012, he showcased his skills by claiming a five-wicket haul against Sri Lanka. However, it was unfortunate that he did not get another opportunity to play a 50-over game for India.
Pathan, who declared his retirement in 2020, accumulated 301 wickets in 173 international matches while also scoring an impressive 2821 runs.
Laxman Sivaramakrishnan
An exceptional talent who astonished the cricketing world with three consecutive six-wicket-hauls in Test cricket, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan is a prime example of a gifted prodigy who struggled to maintain his early triumphs with consistent performances on the international stage.
After making his Test debut at the young age of 17 against the West Indies, Sivaramakrishnan experienced immense joy in 1985 due to his remarkable achievements in both formats of the game.
He recently played a crucial part in India's victory at the Australia Cricket World Championship. He followed that up with an impressive tally of 23 wickets against England in his debut series at home.
However, that marked the end of Siva's story. He was unable to replicate his initial triumph and quickly found himself excluded from the Indian team. He made a comeback to the team for the 1987 World Cup, but unfortunately, it was not very successful.
Anil Kumble's rise in the subsequent years resulted in the 'boy wonder' being permanently relegated to obscurity. LSK had the opportunity to showcase his skills in a grand total of 9 Tests and 16 ODIs, while representing Team India, during which he impressed by taking a remarkable tally of 41 wickets. He recently represented India when he was just 22 years old.