Ignored XI: Best XI of Indian cricketers who didn't get into India's squads for series vs New Zealand and Bangladesh

The Indian selectors announced the squads for the upcoming tours of New Zealand and Bangladesh last week.

After the T20 World Cup 2022 ends, the Men in Blue will visit New Zealand and Bangladesh for two international series each. While the New Zealand tour consists of T20Is and ODIs, the Bangladesh tour features three ODIs and two Test matches.

Interestingly, three different captains will lead the Indian squads during these matches. Hardik Pandya will lead the T20I squad against New Zealand, while Shikhar Dhawan will captain the ODI team on that tour. Rohit Sharma will return as the ODI and Test captain in Bangladesh.

Here's a look at the Indian squads announced for the four series:

New faces like Yash Dayal, Kuldeep Sen and Rajat Patidar have made it into the squads following their impressive domestic displays. However, several others have been overlooked despite putting together some superb performances in the past year for their state teams.

Here's a look at some of those players who have been deemed unlucky to miss out:

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Openers - Prithvi Shaw and Devdutt Padikkal

Prithvi Shaw was a part of the squad that visited New Zealand in 2020, but failed to make the team this time around (Image: Getty)

Explosive opener Prithvi Shaw has scored heaps of runs in domestic cricket over the past year. However, he has not been recalled to the Indian squad since the 2021 England tour. Shaw will hope that he gets at least one chance to prove himself before the 2023 World Cup.

Devdutt Padikkal won the Indian Premier League's (IPL) Emerging Player of the Season award in 2020 and made his international debut in 2021. However, he has not played any international matches since the Sri Lanka tour in 2021.

Given India's dearth of left-handed batters in recent times, Padikkal represents a quality talent and will aim to make a comeback soon.

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Middle Order - Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Rana, Venkatesh Iyer and Krunal Pandya

Krunal Pandya is one of the best all-rounders in the country, but has repeatedly been overlooked (Image: Getty)

Veteran wicket-keeper batter Wriddhiman Saha is unlikely to play for India again, with Rishabh Pant a fixture in the longer formats and Dinesh Karthik playing in T20Is. Fans should note, however, that he had a fantastic IPL 2022 season with the title-winning Gujarat Titans, where he scored 317 runs in just 11 matches.

Saha will have the company of Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Rana, Venkatesh Iyer and Krunal Pandya in this hypothetical team's middle order.

Sharma scored 426 runs for SunRisers Hyderabad in IPL 2022 but is yet to receive a callup. Rana made his international debut in Sri Lanka last year but lost his place soon after. Meanwhile, Krunal has been out of favor since the Sri Lankan tour as well.

Iyer, who was touted to be Hardik Pandya's replacement not long ago, has shockingly failed to receive a place in any of the four squads. This is partly due to Hardik's fantastic displays since his return.

However, Iyer could've represented the left-handed middle-order batting option that India have sorely missed in their playing XI at times this year.

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Bowlers - Prasidh Krishna, T Natarajan, Ravi Bishnoi and Avesh Khan

Ravi Bishnoi has been a wicket-taking bowler for the Men in Blue, but didn't make the squads for their tours of New Zealand or Bangladesh (Image: Getty)

It is tough to make out how Ravi Bishnoi and Avesh Khan lost their places in the Indian T20I team.

The duo were a part of the Men in Blue's Asia Cup 2022 squad in September, even playing a few games. Bishnoi impressed with his skillset, while Khan, who did go for runs, was repeatedly backed to bowl the tough overs.

However, they have not been considered for the New Zealand tour even though a majority of the main players have been rested.

Prasidh Krishna, who played in the ODIs against England and Zimbabwe, has not made it to the squads for the series against New Zealand and Bangladesh. T Natarajan, like many others on this list, has not played any international cricket since 2021.

Many fans considered Natarajan to be the next superstar in Indian cricket after his match-winning performances on his debut tour of Australia in 2020-21. Injuries haven't helped the Tamil Nadu bowler's case and the rise of Arshdeep Singh means he could struggle to get back into the national team squad.