Ten players Captain Virat Kohli ignored

captain Virat Kohli
Captain Virat Kohli     PC: Twitter

Captain Virat Kohli is facing a lot of criticism. Especially after the T20 world cup. India has not been able to qualify for the knockout stage. Everybody is questioning captain Virat Kohli and his strategy. The biggest question arises on team selection. 

It is not the first occasion. There are multiple occasions Captain Virat Kohli had faced such a question. Let us know about the ten cricketers ignored by captain Kohli.

List of ten cricketers

Suresh Raina: Ignored by captain Virat Kohli

After Yuvraj Singh, possibly Suresh Raina is the best left-handed middle-order batter for India in limited over cricket. Except for the 2007 T20 world cup, Raina was part of all the big tournaments since he started to play for India. In the lower middle order, Raina was instrumental for captain cool MS Dhoni. He had a very crucial contribution to the 2011 world cup. 

But since Captain Virat Kohli took over, he started to ignore Raina. There was a big question about the number four batter in the 2019 world cup. 

Then Raina was 32 years old. He was the best among all the contenders. Raina is always very fit. He is one of the best fielders India has ever produced. Raina was a part-time off brack bowler. In the 2019 world cup team, among the Indian batter, no one could bowl a few overs and take a wicket. But during Ganguly and Dhoni era, there were many options. So from every aspect, Raina could be the best choice. But captain Virat Kohli ignored him. Raina last played for India against England at Leeds – on July 17, 2018. 

This aggressive left-handed batter played a total of 322 matches and scored 7988 international runs in his career. Raina had 62 wickets also. 

On August 15, 2020, Raina announced his retirement from international cricket.

Ambati Rayudu: Ignored by captain Virat Kohli

Ambati Rayudu is one of the most unfortunate cricketers in Indian cricket. At a very early age, Rayude was called the next big thing for India. But he took the wrong decision and joined the rebel league. 

But after coming back to mainstream cricket, Rayudu made immediately impacted. And he comes to the national selectors note. Rayudu made his debut against Zimbabwe at Harare – on July 24, 2013. He was selected in India’s 15-member squad for the 2015 Cricket World Cup. But did not get any of the matches to play in the tournament.

Captain Virat Kohli undoubtedly backed Rayudu to be India’s number four for the 2019 World Cup. He was playing all the matches at number four. But he felt to score in some game just before the world cup and dropped from the team. 

After being left out of India’s 15-man team for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, Ambati Rayudu announced his retirement from international cricket.

His last match for India against Australia at Ranchi – March 08, 2019. Rayudu played a total of 60 games for India and scored 1736 international runs in his career. 

Ambati Rayudu is the perfect example of the ignorance of captain Virat Kohli.

Karun Nair: Ignored by captain Virat Kohli

Possibly the biggest misdeed of captain Virat Kohli’s era is ignoring Karun Nair. A cricketer who scored a triple century in his third test match, and he played only three tests after that- what a tragedy?

In 2016, he made his Test cricket debut against England. By scoring a 303 not out against England in his third Test, he became only the third player in international cricket history to convert his maiden century into a triple century.

Nair became the quickest batter to a maiden triple-hundred in Test cricket history by hitting the triple century in three innings. In his third Test against England in Chennai in 2016, the Karnataka batsman scored a triple century. After Virender Sehwag, he became India’s second triple-centurion.

Karun Nair played his last test match against Australia at Dharamsala – March 25 – 28, 2017. That was his sixth test match only. 

After that, captain Virat Kohli never considers him in the playing eleven. But he was part of the Indian team. Captain Virat Kohli preferred Hanuma Vihari instead of Karun Nair against England in 2018. Since then, he is out of the Indian team also.

Karun Nair played a total of eight matches for India and scored 440 runs.

Sanju Samson: Ignored by captain Virat Kohli

Sanju Samson is one of the promising young cricketers since he appears in competitive cricket. He made his T20 debut for India against Zimbabwe at Harare – on July 19, 2015. Since then, Sanju Samson got the chance to play only one ODI and ten T20 matches for India. He is one of the consistent run-scorers in IPL and domestic cricket. 

The number of runs he scored Samson could be the choice for the unsettled Indian middle-order batting line-up for limited over cricket. He is also a wicket-keeper. So after Dhoni, Samson could be another choice for team India. But captain Virat Kohli just ignored him.

READ: Why Did Captain Virat Kohli Fail?

Umesh Yadav: Ignored by captain Virat Kohli

Another victim of captain Virat Kohli’s personal choice is Umesh Yadav. Captain Virat Kohli preferred Ishant Sharma instead of Umesh Yadav. But Umesh is much quicker than Ishant Sharma. Umesh also swings the ball better than Sharma. Both in test cricket and ODI, Umesh Yadav got a better strike rate also. But captain Virat Kohli always preferred his Delhi met Ishant Sharma.

Umesh Yadav made his debut for India against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo – on May 28, 2010. Since then, he played a total of 134 matches and got 273 wickets for India.

Murali Vijay: Ignored by captain Virat Kohli

Murali Vijay, the opening batter from Tamil Nadu, is one of the architects of success in test cricket. His culm, composed, and patient batting was very effective in difficult conditions for India. 

Murali Vijay played a total of 87 matches and scored 4490 runs in his career for India.

He last played for India against Australia at Perth – December 14 – 18, 2018. Since then, captain Virat Kohli and co. are not considering him.

Amit Mishra: Ignored by captain Virat Kohli

Amit Mishra is another most unlucky cricketer of India. When he started his career as a leg-spinner, then mighty Anil Kumble was at his pick. So he did not get the chance to play. And when Mishra was in his top, taking wickets, captain Virat Kohli ignored him. 

Amit Mishra played his last ODI for India against New Zealand at Visakhapatnam – on October 29, 2016. In that match, Mishra took five wickets. His bowling figure was 6-2-18-5. He became ‘player of the match.’ In that series against New Zealand, he took a total of 15 wickets and was selected ‘player of the series.’ 

Then Dhoni decided to step down as India’s limited-overs captain in January 2017, just ahead of the ODI series against England at home.

Captain Virat Kohli took over the limited over the captaincy. 

Amit Mishra was in for all Tests, ODI’s, and T20 squad. But he got the chance to play the last games of the series. Against England at Bengaluru – February 01, 2017, Mishra played his last match for India. In that match, his bowling figure was 4-0-23-1. 

Despite getting wickets in IPl and domestic cricket, captain Virat Kohli just ignored him.

Amit Mishra played 68 matches for India across the format and got 156 wickets.

Jaydev Unadkat: Ignored by captain Virat Kohli

Jayden Unadkat, a left-arm fast bowler who impressed the legend, Wasim Akram, is now not in the picture around the national team. 

Indian batters are facing a lot of problems against the left-arm fast bowler. Trent Boult, Shaheen Afridi exposed Indian top order on many occasions. But captain Virat Kohli has never shown any interest in Unadkat.

Although, he is a consistent performer in domestic cricket as well as in IPL also.

He last played for India in a T20 match against Bangladesh at Colombo (RPS) -on March 18, 2018. Unadkat played 18 matches across the format for India and got 22 wickets. 

READ: Record Of Virat Kohli: The Big Numbers Specks Everything For King Kohli

Khaleel Ahmed: Ignored by captain Virat Kohli

Khaleel Ahmed is another example of the ignorance of captain Virat Kohli. This left-arm medium-pacer is also another product of Under 19 cricket. 

In 2018, then coach Ravi Shastri was looking for a variation in the Indian pace bowling department. So, 19 years old Khaleel Ahmed was selected for Asia Cup 2018. He made his ODI debut for India against Hong Kong in that tournament. After a month, he made his T20 debut against West Indies.

But within a year, he found himself out of the team. Khaleel Ahmed played a total of 25 matches and got 28 wickets for India.

Abhinav Mukund: Ignored by captain Virat Kohli

Abhinav Mukund was part of India’s squad for the U-19 World Cup in Malaysia in 2008. He had a brilliant start to his domestic career. 

But he had a very bad start to his Test career. Abhinav Mukund made his test debut against West Indies at Kingston – June 20 – 23, 2011. 

He played his last test match under captain Virat Kohli against Sri Lanka at Galle – July 26 – 29, 2017. In that match, he scored 81 runs in the second inning. 

Abhinav Mukund played a total of 7 matches and got 320 runs for India.