Team India is currently in the middle of a three-match ODI series against the West Indies and are set to play the decider on Tuesday (August 1). The two teams will then lock horns in the five-match T20I series starting from August 3. The Men in Blue continue to have a busy schedule then as they are scheduled to play three T20Is against Ireland while Asia Cup is set to commence on August 30. Moreover, India will also be competing in the Asian Games that is scheduled in September-October.
Notably, the selectors have named a second-string squad for the Ireland T20Is and subsequently the Asian Games. Moreover, most of the players who are a certainty for the World Cup later this year are also not playing the T20I series against the West Indies. In this case, the selectors have picked up IPL performers and are trying to build a bench strength. However, a few players are surprisingly missing from all the aforementioned squads and it is not clear if they are out of plans or injured.
Here are five players who are not part of Indian team for West Indies, Ireland T20I and Asian Games:
1. Deepak Hooda
Deepak Hooda batted at every possible position in the lead up to the T20 World Cup last year and also featured in the India squad for the mega event. After making his T20I debut in February 2022, he played a massive 21 T20Is in almost a year last featuring for India in February this year against New Zealand. Well, surprisingly, Hooda is nowhere to be seen in any of the Indian squads now. But he endured a poor Indian Premier League (IPL) season and it seems that has played a part in his axing from the team.
2. Deepak Chahar
Deepak Chahar has been extremely prone to injuries. But he has been in and around the Indian team for quite some time. He returned from injury in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and performed well in the second half of the season. He last played for India in December last year on Bangladesh tour during the ODI series. But then got injured and returned for the IPL. Chahar is known for his batting as well and had played a match-winning knock on Sri Lanka tour in 2021 when India needed him the most. But surprisingly, even he is nowhere in the frame at the moment and doesn't seem to be in the plans.
3. Rahul Chahar
Rahul Chahar's case is pretty unique. He played a few matches in the T20I format before the T20 World Cup 2021 after doing well in the IPL. Interestingly, he was also picked in the World Cup squad in 2021 in the shortest format ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal. Rahul Chahar hasn't played since the T20 World Cup 2021 game against Namibia. Chahar also played a solitary ODI on Sri Lanka tour in 2021 but is nowhere to be seen at the moment.
