Deodhar Trophy 2017: 5 players who were unlucky to miss out on a spot

While the IPL has been one of the primary suppliers of talent, a strong limited overs domestic structure has helped the Indian team unearth some gems for their T20 and 50-overs sides. After the Vijay Hazare tournament, the Deodhar Trophy, a triangular 50-over series, will help selectors pick and choose for the upcoming Champions Trophy.

While players like MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh having been rested, the series gives established names like Harbhajan Singh and Dinesh Karthik a chance to impress selectors, and get their spot back in the national side.Also read: 2017 Deodhar Trophy: Rohit Sharma to captain India Blue; MS Dhoni not picked in either team

Although most of the proven performers have been allotted a spot in one of the two teams, a few names were conspicuous by their absence. Here are five players who were unlucky to miss out on a Deodhar Trophy spot:

Saurabh Tiwary

It has been quite a slide for the 27-year old southpaw, part of the victorious U-19 World Cup side in 2008. Touted as the next big thing because of his aggressive strokeplay, Tiwary won himself several accolades for his finishing roles with Mumbai Indians in the first few seasons of the IPL.

Over the last few seasons, he has been quietly plying his trade in the domestic circuit, although his IPL appearances have encountered a steady decline. He managed ten appearances under MS Dhoni’s Rising Pune Supergiants last year.

In the 2017 Vijay Hazare Trophy, Tiwary was in top form, smashing two hundreds and twenty sixes to finish as the highest run-getter for Jharkhand, and the sixth overall. Yet, his name found no mention in either of the Deodhar sides set to face Tamil Nadu.

Abhimanyu Easwaran

Backed by a zealous father and a team of coaches, Abhimanyu Easwaran has been putting the hard yards from a very young age to make it big in cricket. Hailing from Tamil Nadu, Eswaran moved to Bengal because of the strong domestic structure and the flexibility of bringing in outsiders into the state’s teams.

He had been in sensational form throughout the 2017 Vijay Hazare trophy, smacking two hundreds and two fifties en route to becoming the second highest run-getter in the tournament, just behind Dinesh Karthik. However, the 21-year old, who scored 101 against Jharkhand in the semifinals, didn’t find a spot in any of the two teams.

Pragyan Ojha

It has been testing times for Ojha these past few years. Once a regular in the Indian team and one of the leading bowlers in the country, Ojha has fallen way down in the pecking order, especially after his bowling action came under a question mark for chucking.

It has been more than three years since Ojha last played for the Indian team, and the 30-year old, who was banned from bowling in 2014, hasn’t been an IPL regular as well.

In the Vijay Hazare trophy, however, he was in good nick with the ball, claiming 15 wickets from nine games with his left arm spin. He did well in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as well, picking up seven wickets from four games. However, none of that was enough for him to sneak a place in one of the two teams.

Varun Aaron

Once hailed as one of the fastest pacers in the country, Varun Aaron’s international career has gone haywire owing to a combination of injuries and poor form, as well as the emergence of a set of dependable fast bowlers at the top most level. He was hit hard by a heel injury which took longer than usual to heal, sending his plans for a quick comeback further in disarray.

He has been making all the right noises, and his recent exploits with the ball for Jharkhand highlight his case. In seven matches, he has picked up 14 wickets, at an economy of 4.88 and an average of 21. Although he is treading cautiously after the injury and not bowling in full spate, Aaron has still managed to trouble batsmen with his disconcerting bounce and testing lines. Surely, a spot in one of the teams would have done his confidence a world of good.

Suresh Raina

It’s been a steep drop in fortunes for Suresh Raina, who was once a regular in the limited overs squad. He made a comeback to the Indian side after almost a year, and looked the part in phases, but an omission from the Deodhar trophy raises serious questions about him making into the Champions Trophy squad.

Raina’s form has been on the downside since last year, leading to his exclusion from the limited overs sides. He didn’t feature in the series against New Zealand last year owing to fever, and got to play only the T20Is against England. However, he showed signs of coming back in form, smashing a string of 90+ scores in the Ranji towards the end of the season, and capping his India comeback with a scintillating 63 against England at Bengaluru.

He didn’t play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, despite being named the captain of the UP team.