4 Indian players who haven't played in a single World Cup

Has there been any bigger dream for any esteemed cricketer than playing a quadrennial 50-over World Cup for his country? No, right? Probably, each cricketer at some point of time in his life strives to serve his country at the World Cup.

Although there have been many notable players who have cherished the dream of a World Cup, there have been a few players who haven't made the World Cup stage despite being counted amongst one of the best in the country.

Thus, in this article, we will look at four Indian greats who never made it to the World Cup squad.

---

1. VVS Laxman

Laxman is one of India's finest batsmen

VVS Laxman, a part of the Indian Fab Four, was touted to be one of the best Indian batsmen. Having started as a lower middle-order batsman, Laxman more often than not bewildered the opposition with his lavish knocks.

Having known for his delicate 281 at the iconic Eden Gardens in 2001 against Australians that stole the victory from the jaws of defeat, Laxman's career was no less than a roller-coaster ride which witnessed many up and downs. However, each time he replied with an innings of a character that one could never emulate.

Although Laxman was not as effective in ODIs as he was in Tests, he remained to be a vital cog of the ODI team in his 86-match ODI career.

His slowness on the pitch came in his way of becoming as good as a player in the limited-overs, and as a result he could not become a part of any World Cup squad.

The Hyderabadi stroke-maker almost made it to the 2003 World Cup squad. Still, the last-minute decision of including Dinesh Mongia at the expense of Laxman ended the World Cup dreams for the latter as after that he never came so close to be a part of the World Cup squad.

2. Cheteshwar Pujara

His resolute mindset has made him one of the toughest batsmen to bowl at, especially in the longer formats of the game.

Cheteshwar Pujara, the right-handed veteran from Saurashtra, has been one of the most focussed batsmen in the history of cricket.

Pujara has ventured his adaptability in the limited-overs formats too, counting 346 runs at an astounding average of 116 in the 2006 Under-19 World Cup, ending up as the highest run-getter.

However, due to the lack of performances with the white ball, he was never more granted an elongated run in the Indian ODI fold.

With time, Pujara continued to concentrate on his forte, Test cricket, and almost distanced him from the white-ball cricket.

Eventually, this talented batsman from Gujarat was never a part of any World Cup squad, and his return to ODI cricket seems highly unlikely.

3. Murali Vijay

Although Vijay cemented his place as a first-choice opener in the Indian Test team, his white-ball credentials have always been a matter of discussion.

With agile feet to get to the trail of the ball and a fleet understanding of the length, Murali Vijay has been an exceptional player.

While Vijay cemented his place as a first-choice opener in the Indian Test team, when the team was in crisis, his white-ball credentials have always been a matter of discussion.

Having debuted in the era of Gautam Gambir and Virender Sehwag, an ODI place was always out of the question for Vijay unless an injury came Gambhir or Sehwag's way.

Thus, after having tried on a few occasions in ODIs, India finally parted his way from Vijay. Eventually, after being not included in the 2011 World Cup squad, the right-handed batsman from Chennai made his choice clear and put forward his entire focus on Test cricket.

4. Ishant Sharma

The 1.93 m tall pacer boasts of being one of the best bowlers in the longer formats of the game.

The tall and lanky fast bowler from Delhi, Ishant Sharma, announced his arrival at the international stage with a lightning spell to Ricky Ponting, in the Perth Test when India toured Australia, that proved to be decisive in the course of the game.

With his ability to move the ball, the 1.93 m tall pacer boasts of being one of the best bowlers in the longer formats of the game. However, his tendency to pick up injuries has kept him alienated from the shorter formats which has been a reason for Ishant's mediocre track record in ODIs.

Considering his height and the head to create an extra bounce, the selectors selected him in the squad for the 2015 World Cup. However, as Ishant failed to recover from a joint injury, he was ruled out of the grand event.