5 Instances in Indian Cricket when Favoritism Selection turned into Controversies

Many players have been drafted to the Indian cricket team and given opportunities over the years based on a few performances. Some went to capitalize and cash in on the moments, while some went into darkness. Some of them have become regular members of the team, such as the likes of Bumrah, Hardik, and a few others.

The selection used to be done particularly based on the performances, but in the recent decade in the era of Ravi Shastri, Rahul Dravid, and Gautam Gambhir, it has been seen that most of the selections have been done based on match-ups, personal favorites, or having a decent form with exceptional talent.

Instances when the selection was done in Indian cricket based on Favoritism

Washington Sundar

Sundar was fast-tracked into the senior indian cricket team following his U-19 World Cup campaign. Seen as a successor to Ashwin, Washington Sundar had the potential to be a regular off-spinner in the team in T20Is and ODIs. His versatility in bowling and batting at any juncture of the game made him a valuable prospect for the team. But things didn’t go as he would have liked. He constantly kept coming in and going out of the team.

In ODIs, after making his debut in 2017, he was recalled to the team in 2022. Since then he has been a regular member of the team, and the credit goes to the team management. However, during this period, India hardly played any matches in overseas conditions. It would be interesting to see if Gautam Gambhir, someone who rates Sundar highly, gives him a longer run.

After a good start to his IPL career, Washington Sundar caught the attention of selectors through his economical spells. 2017 saw Jadeja and Ashwin getting benched, and the duo of Kul-Cha cementing their place in the team. Sundar’s inclusion was a part of the selectors to improve bench strength. Also, the injury to Kedar Jadav opened the gates of opportunities for Sundar. He was a perfect backup to Kedar Jadhav, who had his primary role as a batter and could give a quota of 5-6 overs in the middle

Again, in the recent past, Washington Sundar got an edge over players like Tanush Kotian because of his experience in the IPL and domestic cricket. With more than 7 years of experience now in professional cricket at the senior level, Sundar fits well in the plan of the management. He could easily play the role of a floater and give you overs in the middle. With 2 big tournaments lying ahead of India in the next 2 years, India would want to give more chances to an already proven player. In these 8 years, his ODI stats stand at a total of 329 runs and 24 wickets in 23 matches.

Vijay Shankar

Vijay Shankar made his debut in 2018 in T20Is and 2019 in ODIs. His career was short-lived. Coming to the team as a backup for Hardik Pandya, Vijay Shankar couldn’t achieve the success the team and he wanted. He had a good 2018 IPL, scoring at a strike rate of 145. He equally had a decent domestic season as well. Being a fast-bowling all-rounder gave him an edge over the rest, and he was drafted immediately into the team’s setup. However, he didn’t play enough matches and was dropped once Hardik came back to the team. His career stands at 223 runs and 4 wickets in 12 ODIs.

Shankar got the chance ahead of Rayudu in the World Cup 2019. The infamous Ambati Rayudu-BCCI saga became quite famous. Rayudu was immediately dropped after a failure in the series and never found his way back into the team. The selectors reasoned the 3D ability of Shankar for his inclusion in the team. Infuriated, Rayudu took a hilarious dig at Twitter for the unfair treatment. In a recent podcast on The Lallantop, Robin Uthappa discussed the same about the injustice against the player and this particular incident.

Rahul Chahar

Rahul Chahar was on the verge of becoming a regular member of the T20 side. His unplayable leg breaks and the IPL and domestic performances caught the attention of selectors. He picked up 13 wickets in the 2019 IPL. He was picked on the team when the duo of Kuldeep and Chahal were still featured regularly. However, after getting dropped from the team in 2021, Chahar has not made a comeback to date. With the inclusion of Varun Chakaravarthy in the setup and Bishnoi in consideration, the chances look bleak for him. His career stands at 7 wickets in 6 matches in T20Is and 3 wickets in the only ODI.

Rahul Chahar was India’s primary choice for the T20 World Cup 2021. Before being named in the squad of the World Cup, Chahar made his debut in the ODI. The selectors found him quicker through the air and backed him to be India’s first-choice spinner in the squad ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal. Chahar’s stint with MI made him mature and a better game reader. The selectors placed a bet on him and handed him the opportunity.

Navdeep Saini

Navdeep Saini made his debut against the West Indies, as key players were out for various reasons. Ashish Nehra heavily praised Saini’s ability to bowl pace and exert bounce from the wicket. During Saini’s stint in RCB, Nehra observed him closely and hailed his dedication and work ethic. Coming from Haryana, Saini was given preference over Umesh Yadav in the test squad.

Navdeep Saini was added to the team’s test setup in the famous BGT 2020-21, due to the absence of Shami in the 3rd Test he got the opportunity. His inclusion was purely based on his ability to bowl long spells along with good pace which he had been doing in First-class cricket for a while. However, his unavailability due to injuries, and the return of the senior ones prevented him from playing regularly at the highest level.

Harshit Rana

Harshit Rana has been receiving opportunities back to back in the international setup. Before the IPL 2024, Rana didn’t have much success to his name, both in IPL and domestic cricket. After a good IPL 2024 season, Rana has seen a tremendous leap in his career, a big credit goes to Gautam Gambhir. However, Rana hasn’t utilized the opportunities much in his short career. He has 4 wickets in 2 test matches and 6 wickets in 3 ODIs at an economy of nearly 7. The recent inclusion in the Champions Trophy has surely raised an eyebrow on Gambhir’s favoritism in the team.

Rana’s stint with Gambhir in KKR saw him getting plenty of opportunities in the Indian team. His ability to bowl pace and mix the variation gave him an edge over other pacers in the circuit. Gambhir’s faith could be proven significant in Harshit Rana’s promotion. His adaptability in all the phases and formats of the game makes him a player to look out for shortly. After a controversial T20I debut, Harshit played a key role in his debut game and led India to victory. Now the team management showed trust in him over Mohammed Siraj in the ODI format.