3 players who might miss out on India's squad for the World Test Championship final

With the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) now indefinitely suspended, the focus of cricketing fans across the country has shifted to the final of the World Test Championship.

The final of the inaugural World Test Championship will be contested by India and New Zealand in Southampton from June 18 to June 22. New Zealand qualified for the final fairly easily thanks to some impressive home series wins, while India had to dig deep to pull off memorable victories against fellow contenders England and Australia.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is expected to release India's squad for the World Test Championship final either today or tomorrow. The succeeding Test series in England may also be considered while naming the squad.

Here are 3 Indian players who might miss out on the squad for the World Test Championship final.

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#3 Kuldeep Yadav

India Nets Session

Kuldeep Yadav has been impressive in the Test format whenever called upon by India, which hasn't been often. The left-arm wrist-spinner barely featured in the country's home Test series win over England, and when he did, he wasn't needed much with the ball.

With Axar Patel putting in exceptional performances, India might be tempted to go in with a three-pronged spin attack also comprising of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. And should they need a fourth spinner in the squad, the batting prowess of young Washington Sundar may give him preference over Kuldeep.

India could use a wrist-spinner in English conditions, but both Ashwin and Jadeja - who are expected to be the two spinners part of the playing XI - are undroppable. Kuldeep might find himself absent from the plane that flies to England.

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#2 Prithvi Shaw

New Zealand v India - First Test: Day 1

After suffering a major downturn in his career with poor showings in New Zealand and Australia, Prithvi Shaw has recovered magnificently by making some shrewd technical adjustments. The young opener hasn't proven his worth in red-ball cricket since being dropped from the Indian Test side, but there are enough signs pointing towards a resurgence in the longest format of the game.

The World Test Championship final might come a touch too soon for Shaw to stake a claim for a place in the squad. Shubman Gill had a disappointing IPL and preceding England series, but he's a key part of India's red-ball plans alongside Rohit Sharma at the top of the order. Mayank Agarwal will serve as a backup option, as will KL Rahul.

Shaw might have to wait a bit longer to back in the scheme of things for India in Test cricket.

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#1 Hardik Pandya

England v India: Specsavers 4th Test - Day One

Hardik Pandya was once a staple of the Indian side across formats, even taking a five-wicket haul in English conditions early in his Test career. But a back injury, which has seen him used as a specialist batsman at the IPL level and in white-ball cricket for India, has greatly hampered his Test hopes.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli once claimed that Hardik has to bowl in order to be considered for selection in Tests, and that doesn't seem to be happening regularly anytime soon, at least in 5-day cricket. Moreover, India have a number of world-class pacers - Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur - to call upon.

For Hardik to be part of the squad, he has to offer significant middle-order value, assuming he doesn't bowl. And with the country having a stacked middle order comprising of Rishabh Pant, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari and Ravindra Jadeja among others, the all-rounder might be ignored for the World Test Championship final.