5 Indian cricketers who deserved a longer run

The dream of every aspiring cricketer is to represent their country. Playing cricket for their country in the biggest stage is the pinnacle of every cricketer's career.

India is a hub for cricketing talent. This is the country that has produced great batsmen like Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, and Rahul Dravid; and also some great bowlers like Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan, and Harbhajan Singh. But sadly a major chunk of the talents emerging today only target the IPL and the shorter formats of the game.

It is up to to the selectors, and the captain to find the right talent to represent the country and give him a long run to get accustomed to international cricket. One such success story is Rohit Sharma who struggled initially, but with the backing of the captain, and the selectors, has become one of the best limited-overs batsmen in the world today.

Here are five players who were unlucky in either getting a long run in the team or not having represented the national side at all.

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#5 Amit Mishra

Mishra is one of the most effective leg spinners in the world

Amit Mishra is one of the best leg-spinners India had produced after Anil Kumble. However, he is one of those players who were born in the wrong era. Mishra had to compete with the likes of Kumble and Harbhajan Singh for a spot in the playing XI.

Kumble and Harbhajan represented India almost for a decade, thus leaving no space for a third spinner. The pair was consistent and successful in both formats of the game and this made the selectors hesitant to bring any other spinner to the fray.

For a bowler with 535 first-class wickets, Mishra must consider himself highly unlucky to not to represent India for a long period of time. He wasn't discouraged by the lack of opportunities that he was presented, though, and continued to perform in domestic cricket in hope of representing India one more time in his career. Mishra featured in 22 Test Matches where he picked up 76 wickets and played 36 ODIs where he has 64 scalps to his name.

#4 Dhawal Kulkarni

Kulkarni could have easily been in the Indian Cricket Team today

Dhawal Kulkarni could have sustained in the Indian team had he been given ample chances to prove himself at the highest level.

Kulkarni is a genuine swing bowler from Mumbai who clocks deliveries at the speed of 130+ kmph regularly. The seamer hit the headlines when he was the leading wicket-taker his debut Ranji Trophy season.

Kulkarni has represented 12 ODIs and has never let his side down during this stint with the national side. He has picked up 19 wickets in those 12 matches at an economy rate just above 5.

He has been in the IPL since its inception and has played for multiple franchises through the last eleven years.

#3 Manoj Tiwary

Tiwary probably is the most unlucky Indian batsman of this decade

Manoj Tiwary is one of the most unfortunate players in the Indian cricketing circuit. A glance at his domestic numbers can tell you the ability he possesses.

Even after averaging above 60 in the first-class cricket, Tiwary found it difficult to break into the Indian team. He was among the numerous talented batsmen who were fighting for a spot in the middle order a few years ago. Sharma, who was one of these contenders, received ample opportunities at the international level.

Tiwary, however, was unlucky not get a place in the Indian team. He has scored a fifty and a hundred in the 12 ODI matches that he has played. He is also a live wire on the field and can contribute with the ball when necessary.

#2 Subramaniam Badrinath

Badrinath, the veteran from Tamil Nadu

This run machine can be termed as one of the unluckiest cricketers to have played for India. Badrinath is one of the greatest batsmen to play Ranji Trophy – he piled up runs in first-class cricket seamlessly.

Badrinath scored 10245 runs in first-class cricket with an average of just below 55. Badri was not good only in playing the red ball but was equally dependable in the shorter formats as well.

His contribution was a major reason for the Chennai Super Kings' dominance in the initial years of the IPL. This earned him a spot in the Indian Test side, only to be removed after just two matches.

Badrinath recently retired from all formats of the game. He could have become the best batsman of his era, had he been given the chances he deserved.

#1 Amol Muzumdar

Muzumdar arguably is the greatest Ranji Trophy batsman of all time

If Subramaniam Badrinath is the unluckiest player to have played for India, then Amol Muzumdar is the unluckiest player to have never played for them.

The man from Mumbai is the second highest run scorer in the Ranji Trophy history and has hit 28 centuries in the time he played in the domestic circuit.

From being touted as the next Sachin Tendulkar, and not representing India at all till his retirement, Muzumdar's career can be termed as one of the biggest tragic stories in Indian cricket history.