4 India A players who deserved a place in the ODI squad

Team India will be looking forward to the 2-match Test series which is set to start from August 22 in Antigua. This will be India's first series in the ICC World Test Championship which will go on for the next 2 years. The No.1 ranked Test side, India, will want to kick it off with a win. They will happily reflect on the clean sweep that they had over the West Indies, who have offered little competition to the Men in Blue.

India won 3-0 in a rain-affected T20I series where there was very little fight from the hosts. After the first ODI was abandoned, India won both the ODIs in Trinidad with Virat Kohli scoring tons in both games and Shreyas Iyer impressing with 2 half-centuries.

But what was interesting to see was India's approach to their squad selection for this tour, which lacked the inclusion of young players. The likes of Kedar Jadhav, who won't be around till the 2023 World Cup, were backed by the team management.

The 2019 World Cup ended recently and one of Kohli or Rohit Sharma should have been rested in order to reduce their workload. This could have also provided an opportunity to some India A stars who have been playing in the Caribbean for some time and would be better suited to the conditions.

Let's now take a look at 4 India A stars who deserved a place in the ODI squad.

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#4 Ruturaj Gaikwad

Ruturaj deserves more recognition for his exploits.

Of the most exciting talents to emerge from the country in recent times, Ruturaj Gaikwad is someone whose name hasn't been highlighted enough. But, the lad from Pune has quietly gone on to make a name for himself in all formats.

He was in stellar form in the series against West Indies A and has racked up a lot of runs in List A and First-Class matches, whilst also being the 2nd highest run-scorer in the ODI format.

Someone who can bat in many positions, although he has thrived as an opener, Ruturaj is technically sound and has the ability to score runs at a steady pace. He even put up a mammoth score of 187* in an unofficial ODI against Sri Lanka A.

Though there are many players ahead of him for a place in the squad, Ruturaj is someone who truly deserves a spot in the side. Though he might not get it anytime soon, he is a star in the making.

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#3 Mayank Agarwal

Mayank does deserve a place in the ODI set-up

Mayank Agarwal has constantly impressed for India in the List A and domestic matches and deserves a place in the Indian ODI setup. He made a tremendous start to his international career with 2 half-centuries in his first 3 Test innings.

He was subsequently called up to the World Cup squad when Vijay Shankar was injured. Considering that he was trusted by the management to play in ODIs, Mayank should have been in the squad for the West Indies tour as well.

A very versatile batsman and gifted stroke-player, Mayank should have been tried out both at the top order and in the middle order, while one of the senior players could have got some rest. India need to try out various options to solve their middle-order muddle and need to give equal opportunities to all the players and back them.

Mayank has excelled while playing for India A and in other domestic tournaments. He has amassed more than 3000 runs in 75 List A innings and has excelled in different batting positions.

Mayank has the chance to cement his place in the Test squad along with Karnataka teammate KL Rahul. His performances in the limited-overs format do merit him a place in the ODI squad and he'll hope that he gets his chance sometime soon.

#2 Krunal Pandya

Krunal Pandya has put in solid performances for both India A and India.

Krunal Pandya's tremendous T20I performances should have got him a place in the ODI squad but the Baroda all-rounder wasn't selected.

India backing someone like Kedar Jadhav at this time is questionable because the 34-year old isn't likely to play the next World Cup. When someone like Krunal, who strikes the ball cleanly and bowls tight lines is available, he should have been given a go.

Sure, he is similar to Jadeja in many ways but that doesn't mean that they can't play in tandem. Krunal's exploits with the ball played a huge part in India A's triumph over West Indies A in the unofficial ODI series.

Ideally, India should have given both him and Jadeja a game each and tried them out together in the third game to ensure fair rotation within the team. Considering how the team views his performance, he isn't far from making his ODI debut but as far as chances go, he deserved one in this ODI series.

Kedar Jadhav clearly doesn't add much value to this side with either his bowling or fielding and even his batting has looked tired and lacks power. It's time for India to back another proper all-rounder, at least to keep on the bench, and Krunal is the right person for that role.

#1 Shubman Gill

Gill made his debut in challenging Kiwi conditions.

Perhaps the most talked-about talent in the country along with Prithvi Shaw, U-19 star Shubman Gill has already made his ODI debut. He was expected to make it to the ODI squad for the West Indies tour on the back of some stunning performances in the Caribbean conditions for India A. He also shone in the IPL and various other domestic leagues and even got a taste of international cricket in New Zealand, where he featured in 2 ODIs.

But he was surprisingly left out and is now leading India Blue in the Duleep Trophy back home.

Gill is a rare talent and is an exceptional timer of the ball and has now become a very adaptable player batting anywhere from opening the innings to batting at No.6. He must certainly be in India's ODI plans and since he already broke into the team, it won't be long before he does so again.

Again, this would require either Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli to be rested or at least them stepping down for a match or two in order to allow the youngsters to get some game time. India do need to try out all their options before they settle on a No.4 batsman. When Rahul and Rishabh Pant have received extensive backing, this young star too must be given the opportunity to prove himself.

Gill must consider himself unlucky to miss out and did deserve a place in the squad but he can earn one quite soon.