5 players who were unlucky to miss out on India's T20I squad to face South Africa

Amidst the hoopla surrounding the IPL Auction, India not only managed to win the third Test against South Africa but also announced their squad for the three T20Is against South Africa. The biggest story from the T20I squad was the return of Suresh Raina.

The arrival of the World Cup-winning all-rounder also meant that there were a few worthy candidates who missed out on a spot in the side. The T20I series begins on February 18 and here is the complete squad for the three-match series.

India squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma (Vice Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (WK), Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Manish Pandey, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Jaydev Unadkat, Shardul Thakur

Here are 5 players who were unlucky to miss out on India's T20I squad to face South Africa:

Rishabh Pant

If there is one name that has dominated the headlines over the last few years, especially in T20s, it has to be Rishabh Pant. The southpaw's ability to seemingly clear the boundary at will and consistent performances across all formats led to him making his India debut against England in a T20I in 2017. However, since then he has fallen away from the selectors' radars.

This is despite the fact that he was an integral part of Delhi's victorious Syed Mushtaq Ali side. He finished as the second-leading run-getter in the tournament, scoring 411 runs from 10 matches at an average of 45 and strike rate of almost 200. He also scored four fifties and the fastest T20 century by an Indian batsman.

Despite his incredible recent form and the fact that he was retained by Delhi Daredevils ahead of the Auction, India decided to overlook the talented youngster for the T20I series.

Washington Sundar

Washington Sundar impressed on T20I debut

Having made his ODI and T20I debut against Sri Lanka, Washington Sundar would have wondered if he had done enough to retain his place in the side. The nature of the surfaces in South Africa meant that India just went with their first-choice spin trio of Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav.

That meant that the 18-year-old all-rounder, despite his impressive T20I debut and recent performances for Tamil Nadu in T20s, missed out on the T20I squad to face South Africa. In the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which was won by Delhi, Sundar finished with 12 wickets in 9 matches at an economy rate of under 7.

Sundar, who will play alongside Virat Kohli at Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2018, has to wait a little longer to play under the Indian captain.

Siddarth Kaul

Siddarth Kaul has been sensational

One player who would have been both happy and disappointed during the IPL Auction is Siddarth Kaul. The 29-year-old was picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad for 3.8 crore but also missed out on a deserved call-up to the Indian T20I side.

It would have been especially disappointing for Kaul considering the fact that he received his maiden ODI call-up for the Sri Lanka series, even though he failed to play in any match. Consistent performances in the domestic circuit have made him a household name and his ability to execute at the death makes him an invaluable addition to the side.

However, with the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat and Jasprit Bumrah already establishing themselves in the side, Kaul was once again ignored. However, consistent performances for the SRH in the IPL and for India A when he turns out for them will ensure that it is only a matter of when and not if he makes his international debut.

Basil Thampi

Thampi has been a revelation in T20s

One of the stars of last year's IPL, Basil Thampi, has been on the fringes of national selection for a while now. He was unfortunate to miss out on a spot in the T20I squad and while a 95 lakh bid from Sunrisers Hyderabad, for whom he will play in IPL 2018, would have brought him joy, an Indian call-up still eludes him.

His breakthrough came in last year's IPL where he showed incredible maturity and variations as he walked away with the Emerging Player of the Tournament award while playing for Gujarat Lions. The Kerala pacer showed that while he might be young, he is incredibly consistent and has all the necessary attributes to be one of the premier death bowlers.

Although he was part of the India A series and received a call-up to the T20I squad for the series against Sri Lanka, he didn't make his international debut. He was even one of the four bowlers who traveled to South Africa along with the Test team.

Shreyas Iyer

Iyer played all three T20Is against Sri Lanka

Despite playing in all three ODIs and T20Is against Sri Lanka, Shreyas Iyer missed out on the T20I squad to face South Africa. The 23-year-old was in great form during the ODI series against Sri Lanka and although he missed out in the T20Is, he should consider himself unlucky to not have made the squad.

Since his international debut against New Zealand, Iyer hasn't been able to make the immediate impact that he would have wanted to. Still, having scored two fifties in his last two ODIs, the Mumbai batsman would have thought that his place would have been safe.

However, it is just a matter of time before Iyer makes his return and cements his place in the T20I side and the fact that he is in the ODI squad means that his recent form hasn't gone unnoticed.