5 players who missed out on India's T20I squad to face New Zealand

Amidst reports that star players will be rested and youngsters will be given an opportunity, India's squad for the three-match T20I series against New Zealand featured the usual suspects. While there were a couple of surprise inclusions in the form of Shreyas Iyer and Mohammed Siraj, the majority of the team remained the same.

India squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma (VC), KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashish Nehra and Mohammed Siraj.

However, there were a few players who were unlucky to not make the cut and feature in what would Ashish Nehra's farewell series. Here are 5 players who missed out on India's T20I squad to face New Zealand:

Mohammed Shami

While Mohammed Shami features in the squad for the first two Tests against Sri Lanka, his omission from the T20I squad means that he would have played just a solitary international game in three months going into the Test series. With Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah establishing themselves as the first choice fast bowling pair in limited-overs Shami has found it difficult to find a place in the side.

While he played all three Tests in Sri Lanka and looks set to play all three at home against the same opponents, a few more games would have done him no harm at all. His six-wicket haul against Chhattisgarh in the last round of the Ranji Trophy is proof that he is fit and ready to go.

A couple of international matches ahead of a home series against Sri Lanka would have been ideal preparation while also affording some rest to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has been playing non-stop all-year long.

Siddarth Kaul

Kaul has picked up 14 wickets in his last six matches for India A

While the decision to call-up Mohammed Siraj isn't a bad one, his Sunrisers Hyderabad teammate Siddarth Kaul can certainly count himself unlucky to not have been above him in the pecking order. On the back of a stellar showing in the IPL with Sunrisers Hyderabad, the 27-year-old earned an India A team call-up.

Since then, he has been nothing short of spectacular. He picked up eight wickets from four matches in India's victorious tri-series in South Africa and in the two matches that he played during the A series against New Zealand, he picked up three wickets apiece on both occasions. His tally of 14 wickets in his last six List-A matches for India A just highlights the form that he is in.

So it was certainly surprising to see the selectors opt for Siraj over the 27-year-old for the T20I series against New Zealand.

Krunal Pandya

Krunal Pandya was overlooked once again

Krunal Pandya hit the headlines earlier this month, courtesy of his heart-warming birthday wish for his brother Hardik, who has taken international cricket by storm. He would have been hoping to make the headlines yet again with a spot in the Indian T20I side but the all-rounder from Baroda was overlooked in favor of Axar Patel.

With Ravindra Jadeja firmly on the sidelines of the T20I side, Krunal must have fancied his chances of featuring in the home season in at least one of the T20I squads. His eye-catching performances in the last two editions of the IPL for the Mumbai Indians, with whom he won the tournament earlier this year, has brought him into the reckoning for a national call-up.

Capable of hitting the ball a long way while also being incredibly economical, he has a rare combination of skills, however, the selectors have opted to go with the tried and tested in the form of Axar, who has also been impressive in the opportunities that he has been given this year.

Vijay Shankar

Vijay Shankar has been in brilliant form for India A

Consistent performances for Tamil Nadu has meant that Vijay Shankar has been a constant presence in the India A side. In the last two series, the 26-year-old has showcased his complete arsenal of skills and shown that he is more than capable of fitting in the middle-order and solving a problem that has risen once again for India.

The all-rounder from Tamil Nadu has proven to be an incredibly consistent player with the bat in the middle-order and has also shown that he is a more-than handy seamer with the ball in hand. India's search for a premier all-rounder might have finally found an answer in the form of Hardik Pandya but even he cannot play all the time.

Such are the demands of a modern international player that very few are able to seamlessly play across all formats without injuring themselves. With that in mind and a full tour of Sri Lanka just around the corner, the selectors could have rested Hardik Pandya and gone with an in-form all-rounder for the T20I series.

Ajinkya Rahane

Rahane has seven fifties and a century in his last 11 ODIs

If there is one player who can count himself the unluckiest of the lot, it has to be Ajinkya Rahane. The right-hander has been in fantastic form since the Champions Trophy and also seemed to have gained the trust of Virat Kohli, who added that Rahane will be India's backup opener. Despite those statements and his prolific form, Rahane didn't make the cut and KL Rahul, who has struggled to get going, has been picked ahead of him.

The 29-year-old finished with a Man of the Series performance against West Indies in the Carribean but featured just once during the limited-overs leg of India's tour of Sri Lanka. In the ODI series against Australia, he smashed four consecutive fifties but even that hasn't been enough for him as he not only failed to feature in the T20I series against Australia but was also not picked for the first ODI against New Zealand and has been left out of the T20I squad entirely.

While Rahul and Rahane are seen as the opening options, it seems as though despite being in stunning form, Rahane hasn't done enough to warrant a place in the T20I side.