4 players who deserve to play for India in limited overs cricket

There is no dearth of talent when it comes to Indian cricket. From the beautiful valleys of Kashmir to the scenic Kanyakumari, cricket is followed as a religion throughout the country.

You can spot a little boy of just four or five years of age with a bat in his hand - such is the craze for the 'Gentleman's game' in India. Team India has always had a big pool of talented players, be it batsmen, bowlers, all rounders or even wicket keepers.

But not all of them get the opportunity they deserve given the heavy competition in India's domestic circuit. There is also a chance that their exceptional performances in the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, Duleep Trophy goes unnoticed.

Let us now look at four talented uncapped players with excellent domestic circuit credentials who are yet to play for India. No doubt, these players may get the chance to play for India in the limited overs formats in the years to come.

Note: Only the uncapped players who have played four or more domestic seasons and at least 65 matches (First class and List A combined) have been considered.

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#1 Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav, who plays for Mumbai in the domestic circuit, made his first class debut in the 2010-11 Ranji trophy against Delhi. After some impressive performances for Mumbai over his first two seasons in domestic circuit, he was bought by the Mumbai Indians for the fifth season of the IPL.

He made his IPL debut at the Wankhede Stadium, against the now-defunct Pune Warriors India in April 2012. Since then, there has been no looking back for Yadav, who has so far played 69 IPL matches for Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders, scoring 1124 runs at a strike-rate of 132.39.

He played very well for the Dinesh Karthik-led Knight Riders side this season, scoring 512 runs in 14 matches. Yadav, who has amassed 12 centuries and 22 half-centuries for Mumbai in first class cricket, has scored 4545 runs in 67 matches at an average of 43.70 and also has 24 wickets to his name.

In 62 List A matches, he has scored 1594 runs with his highest score being 134*. An agile fielder, Yadav has taken 125 catches across the first class and List A matches. The talented Mumbaikar though is yet to play a game at international level.

#2 Mayank Agarwal

Mayank Agarwal

Mayank Agarwal has represented India at the 2010 ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup, and shot to prominence after finishing tournament as the team's highest run-getter with 167 runs in six matches at a strike-rate of 85.64. The Karnataka batsman, who scored his first ever triple ton in last season's Ranji Trophy against Maharashtra, made his IPL debut for the Royal Challengers Bangalore during the fourth edition in 2011. He finished the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy season as the highest run-getter with an astonishing 1160 runs for Karnataka.

Agarwal has played 64 IPL matches so far in the IPL, representing the Delhi Daredevils, Rising Pune Supergiant and Kings XI Punjab, scoring 934 career runs. After finishing the 2017-18 Vijay Hazare trophy as the highest run-scorer with 723 runs in eight games, he broke the record for most runs in a single Indian domestic season having amassed 2141 runs across the 2017-18 season in all competitions. With 3217 runs in 41 first class matches at an average of 51.06, he has been the most important batsman for Karnataka for well over five years.

In 63 List A matches, Agarwal has made 3124 runs at an average of 50.38 with his highest score being 176. The fact that he is yet to represent India at the highest level is still a surprising one given his batting credentials.

#3 Baba Aparajith

Baba Aparajith

Aparajith, who plays for Tamil Nadu in the domestic circuit, made his first class debut against Baroda in November 2011. The Chennai lad played a crucial role in India's ICC Under 19 World Cup win at Australia in 2012 scoring 171 runs and picking up 5 wickets in six matches. A batting all rounder, he is a very vital bowler too with his off-breaks. Aparajith was very unlucky that he did not get an opportunity during his three year stay at the Chennai Super Kings, and two year stint with the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant.

After warming the bench for five seasons, he did not find any buyers at the 2018 IPL auction. A talented all rounder, Aparajith scored Tamil Nadu Premier League's (TNPL) first ever century in 2016 for VB Thiruvallur Veerans. In the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy, he was Tamil Nadu's leading run-getter with 417 runs in four matches. A consistent top order batsman in the domestic circuit, he has so far played 60 first-class matches, scoring 3090 runs at an average of 20.12, with his highest score being 212. Also, the off-spinner has 36 first class wickets to his name with his best figures being 5/86.

Tamil Nadu's leading run-getter at the 2015-16 Vijay Hazare Trophy with 390 runs in seven innings, he has made 1963 runs at an average of 40.89 in 53 List A matches, with his highest score being 137. Aparajith also has 26 List A wickets with his best figures being 3/28. Had he been given the opportunity to prove himself in the IPL, he could have shot to fame a long time ago given he all round credentials. Sadly, this hasn't been the case with the Tamil Nadu star, who deserves a spot in the Indian team given his consistent all-round performances in the domestic circuit over the years.

#4 Deepak Hooda

Deepak Hooda

Hooda, who is nicknamed 'Hurricane', might be crucial for Team India with his big-hitting abilities lower down the order, and useful off-spin. The Baroda all rounder made his first class debut against Bengal in 2014, and since then he has represented his team in 31 matches, scoring 2208 runs at an average of 50.18 with his highest score being 293*. Hooda, who was a part of the Indian Under 19 side at the 2014 ICC Under 19 World Cup in UAE, made his IPL debut for the Rajasthan Royals in 2015, scoring 151 runs at a strike-rate of 158.94 in 14 matches, with his highest score being 54.

Thereby, he rose to prominence with his exploits with the bat during the eighth season of the Indian Premier League. Hooda amassed 293* against Punjab in the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy, his first double century in first class cricket. In 37 List A matches, Hooda has taken 23 wickets and scored 1373 runs at an average of 42.90, with his highest score being 161. A hard-hitter and a brilliant fielder, Hooda has hit 83 sixes and taken 57 catches across his first class and List A careers. He is just 23, and the chances of him playing for India look high.