5 India players not picked for IND vs WI Tests 2025 but who played in 2023 ft. Shardul Thakur

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday, September 25, announced the squad for the upcoming home Test series against the West Indies, beginning on October 2. There were hardly any surprises in the squad, with right-handed batter Karun Nair's omission expected after failing to convert his chances in the series against England.

Meanwhile, India will also play their first Test series against the West Indies since 2023. There have been drastic changes in the Indian Test team since then, with the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin retiring from the format. A handful of players from that squad have also fallen out of favour and are not part of the upcoming one.

Here are five Team India players who were part of the 2023 series but not included in the squad for the two-Test series in 2025:

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5) Mukesh Kumar

Mukesh Kumar. (Image Credits: Getty)

It was during the tour of the West Indies in 2023 that right-arm seamer Mukesh Kumar made his Test debut. He took tidy figures of 18-6-48-2 in the only innings the tourists bowled, dismissing Kirk McKenzie and Alick Athanaze, as the match resulted in a draw. Mukesh played a vital role in India's famous win over South Africa in Cape Town last year.

But the 31-year-old has played only one more Test since, against England in Vishakhapatnam in February 2024. He managed only one wicket across both innings. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj have established themselves as first-choice quicks, while the likes of Akash Deep, Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna are being looked at as backups.

Mukesh has seemingly found himself way down in the pecking order as the selectors did not consider him even for the recent England tour.

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4) Shardul Thakur

Shardul Thakur walks out to bat. (Image Credits: Getty)

Bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur has been dropped from the Test side following a substandard showing during the England tour. Shardul, known for his knack of picking up wickets out of nowhere and adding crucial lower-order runs, couldn't perform his role to perfection. In two Tests in England, the Maharashtra-born cricketer managed only 46 runs with a best of 41 and took a couple of scalps at 72 apiece.

With Nitish Kumar Reddy in the squad, India will look to groom him as an effective contributor with both bat and ball. Reddy, who has played seven Tests and also has a Test hundred at MCG, showcased immense promise in his limited opportunities. Should the youngster's stocks continue to rise, it will be a long road back for Shardul.

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3) Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane walks off after being dismissed. (Image Credits: Getty)

Former India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has found himself away from the Test side since 2023. The veteran batter's last Test appearance also came in the previous series against the West Indies. He made only eight runs at Port of Spain in Trinidad. Despite decent performances on the domestic circuit, Rahane has been on the sidelines.

At 37, it is incredibly hard to see the experienced batter returning into the scheme of things, especially with India having plenty of batters knocking on the selectors' doors. Rahane's greatest achievement would arguably be captaining India to a series win in Australia in 2020-21.

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2) KS Bharat

KS Bharat last played a Test in 2024. (Credits: Getty)

Keeper-batter KS Bharat, who made his debut in the 2023 home series against Australia, remains nowhere near the selectors' plans. The Andhra Pradesh-born cricketer had got the nod due to Rishabh Pant's unavailability following a life-threatening accident. He remained on the bench during the 2023 Caribbean tour, losing out to Ishan Kishan.

Bharat went on to play seven Tests, the last of which came in early 2024. Although Bharat's keeping skills were promising, his batting hardly offered anything to the Indian team.

After dropping the 31-year-old midway through the home series against England, the selectors brought in Dhruv Jurel, who eventually played a big part in India's victory. With Pant injured currently, Jurel will take up the keeping duties against the West Indies.

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1) Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan. (Image Credits: Getty)

Keeper-batter Ishan Kishan also made his Test debut during the tour of the West Indies in 2023. His two red-ball matches for India came in that series. The 27-year-old scored 78 runs across three innings on that tour.

The left-hander has performed well in patches on the domestic circuit but struggled to put in a consistent show to be considered by the selectors in the Test squad. With Rishabh Pant being the first-choice keeper in Test cricket and Dhruv Jurel doing an outstanding job as a replacement, Kishan is unlikely to be in the plans for Test cricket any time soon. Kishan also hasn't played for the national team since 2023.