5 consistent domestic performers who deserved an India call-up

Every domestic season comes as an opportunity for cricketers to make a strong case for national selection with their performances. All cricketers play with the dream to represent their country at the international stage.

However, a selected few get the honour of playing for their country. While some players make the cut by performing relentlessly in the domestic circuits some undeviating performers go unnoticed in the eyes of the selectors.

Cricketers who proved themselves in domestic seasons across various formats are the ones who should get the national call-up. There are many Indian domestic stars who have been consistent performers but haven’t had a chance to play for India.

We take a look at some Indian cricketers who have proved their worth in country’s three most prestigious cricket tournaments Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy along with the IPL.

Here is our list of five Indian domestic performers who deserved a national call-up for their consistency.

#1. Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer was the highest run-scorer in Ranji Trophy 2015-16 season

The 21-year-old top-order batsman from Mumbai is considered as one of the best young batsmen currently but missed out of the India team spot despite some super consistent performances in last season.

Iyer was the highest scorer of this year’s Ranji Trophy with some style. The right-handed batsman was one of the main reasons behind Mumbai’s Ranji triumph this year. Shreyas scored a whopping 1321 runs from 11 matches at an average of 73.38 and with a very impressive strike-rate of 92.70. He also smashed four centuries and seven fifties along with a brilliant double-hundred.

The Mumbai-born batsman also proved his mettle in the 50-overs tournament Vijay Hazare Trophy. While opening for the current Ranji champions, Shreyas accumulated 222 runs in 6 matches at an average of 37 and with a strike-rate 101.36.

The youngster then went on to set the stage on fire in the domestic T20 competition Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy. In 8 matches he scored 284 runs at an average of 35.50 and with a destructive strike-rate of 149.47.

Because of his superb season and consistent performances, the young Mumbai batsman was bought by the IPL team Delhi Daredevils for a whopping Rs 2.6 crore. However, the 21-year-old had a very disappointing tournament as he only managed to score 30 runs in 6 matches.

#2. Akhil Herwadkar

Akhil Herwadkar after scoring a hundred in Ranji Trophy

The left-handed opening batsman is also a member of the Ranji champions Mumbai team. The 21-year-old provided much-needed calmness in the Mumbai batting line-up which is always a requirement in the longest format of the game.

The youngster ended the 2015-16 Ranji season as the second highest run-scorer just behind his teammate Shreyas Iyer. He scored 879 runs in 11 matches at an impressive average of 48.83 along with three centuries and four half-centuries.

The opener also was an important member of the Mumbai side in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The Sangil-born batsman smashed 300 runs from 6 matches in the tournament at an average of 50 and with a healthy strike-rate of 84.50.

However, the youngster is yet to prove himself as a T20 player but have already represented Mumbai in the domestic T20 tournament. He was a part of the Delhi Daredevils team in the recently concluded ninth edition of the IPL.

#3. Robin Uthappa

Robin Uthappa has been one of the most consistent performers in the IPL in past couple of years

The 30-year-old batsman has played more than 50 international matches wearing the Indian jersey but hasn’t played a single match last year’s tour of Zimbabwe. Once considered as the next big thing in Indian cricket, Uthappa has been one of the most consistent domestic performers of the 2015-16 season.

The Karnataka batsman was superb in this year’s Ranji Trophy. He accumulated 759 runs from 8 matches at an average of 58.38. The right-handed batsman also smashed three centuries and three fifties in the tournament.

The Coorg-born batsman also continued his good form in the domestic T20 competition. He scored 205 runs in 5 matches at an average of 41 and with a strike-rate of 139.45. The aggressive batsman didn’t have much success in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

However, his form was back in this year’s IPL where he played for the Kolkata Knight Riders. In 15 matches he scored 394 runs at an average of 26.26 and with a strike-rate of 136.33 along with three fifties in the tournament.

#4. Shahbaz Nadeem

Shahbaz Nadeem picked up the most number of wickets in the Ranji Trophy 2015-16 season

The 26-year-old slow left-arm bowler has been very good with his trickery in the 2015-16 season of domestic cricket. Despite his superb effort for Jharkhand, the spinner was not included in the India side.

The Bihar-born bowler was the highest wicket-taker in this year’s Ranji Trophy. The left-arm spinner picked up a staggering 51 wickets in 9 matches at an average of 19.62 and a strike-rate of 41.3. He picked up five wickets in an innings four times in this year’s completion.

Nadeem also was pretty good in the 50-overs tournament Vijay Hazare Trophy. He picked up 13 wickets from 7 matches at an average of 13.15 and with a strike-rate of 26.7. His best figure of the tournament was 3/15.

The 26-year-old was a member of the Delhi Daredevils team but he didn’t get many chances to show his caliber in the cash-rich tournament. He played only 4 matches for the Zaheer Khan led side and picked up two wickets in the recently concluded tournament.

#5. Naman Ojha

Naman Ojha has been one of the most consistent domestic wicketkeeper-batsmen in all the formats

The 32-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman was once considered as one of the most promising cricketers in the country but only managed to play 2 matches in the Indian jersey. He last played for the Indian team in a Test match against Sri Lanka at Colombo in 2015 but is currently out of the national side.

The right-handed batsman was one of the best performers for Madhya Pradesh in the 2015-16 Ranji season. He scored 645 runs in 9 matches at an average of 46.07 along with a superb hundred and six fifties.

The Ujjain-born batsman then took his form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He accumulated 249 runs in 5 matches at an average of staggering 62.25 and with a healthy strike-rate of 96.88. He is also one of the best wicketkeepers of the country right now.

The 32-year-old was also one of the key members of the recently crowned IPL champions Sunrisers Hyderabad. In 17 IPL matches, he scored 136 runs along with 5 maximums in the tournament. Ojha has also been the most effective wicketkeepers in the cash-rich tournament has have taken some sensational catches.