India vs Australia 2017: 5 players who were unlucky to miss out in India's T20I squad

Almost immediately after the conclusion of the ODI series, India have announced their squad for the upcoming 3-match T20I series against Australia. The three matches are slated to take place on October 7, 10 and 13 at Ranchi, Guwahati and Hyderabad respectively.

The Virat Kohli-led squad contains a few surprising picks like Ashish Nehra and Dinesh Karthik alongside the usual suspects. With the next World T20 (in Australia) less than three years away, the Indian selectors need to identify their core group by providing opportunities to those players who are likely to feature in that tournament.

Here are five players who can consider themselves extremely unlucky to have missed out on a spot in India's T20I squad in the upcoming series against Australia.

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#5 Suresh Raina

A veteran of 65 international T20 matches, Suresh Raina possesses a significant amount of experience in white-ball cricket. Even though the southpaw's recent form has not been particularly encouraging, he could have bolstered the middle-order with his fluent stroke-play.

The vulnerability in the middle-order has meant that the Indian batting lineup is heavily dependant on the top three to establish a strong foundation in almost every game. With the number four position being very crucial to a team's batting fortunes in the shortest format, Raina might have been a better contender for the job. Adding his fielding and handy part-time off-spin to the equation, the 30-year-old is a valuable limited-overs cricketer.

#4 Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami is a wicket-taking option across all forms of the game

Considering the fact that Ashish Nehra will be over 40 when the next World T20 begins, his selection for this series is a baffling one. Maybe the selectors wanted to give him a farewell from the international arena. Either way, this can be construed as a missed chance to bring in a younger fast bowler.

Shardul Thakur, who was in the squad for the one-off T20I against Sri Lanka, has been left out without a proper opportunity to showcase his skills. If the selection committee felt that he would not be suitable for the shortest format, they could have drafted in a quality fast bowler like Mohammed Shami. Having established himself as a regular in the Test team, the 27-year-old is the right candidate to be India's pace spearhead in all three formats of the game. The fact that he has played just seven T20Is thus far is a travesty, to say the least.

#3 Krunal Pandya

Krunal Pandya is an all-round package like his younger brother Hardik

Just like the Pathan brothers, the Pandya brothers have the potential to feature for India simultaneously. While Hardik has rapidly risen to become a star player across all three formats, his older brother Krunal is yet to get the chance to represent his country.

Not unlike his younger brother, Krunal is also a hard hitter of the cricket ball. The left-hander is capable of playing dynamic knocks which can shift the momentum in quick time. With the ball, he is a steady operator. As evidenced by the dismissal of South African icon AB de Villiers on four occasions in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Mumbai Indians player has a penchant for lifting his game against the best in the business. With both the ODI and T20I teams in need of an attacking spin all-rounder, Krunal could fit the bill.

#2 Rishabh Pant

India should groom Rishabh Pant to step into MS Dhoni's shoes in both ODIs and T20Is

Rishabh Pant is arguably India's most promising talent in the current domestic circuit. Apart from possessing the ability to take the attack to the opposition bowlers, his wicket-keeper skills are improving on a regular basis. The 19-year-old has the aptitude to have a long and productive career for his nation.

With MS Dhoni in the final phase of his remarkable career, it is imperative that the selectors hone in on a suitable successor and groom him by providing frequent opportunities. The probability of the seasoned campaigner making it to the 2020 World T20 does not seem too high.

Hence, promising youngsters need to be kept close to the team in order to assist their transition from the domestic arena into the demanding cauldron of international cricket. Even if he does not get to feature in the playing eleven, Pant should have at least been selected in the squad to acquire experience arising from sharing the dressing room with senior stars.

#1 Ravichandran Ashwin

Unlike in ODIs, Ravichandran Ashwin's track record in T20Is is stellar

Even though the official reason for the prolonged absence of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the limited-overs formats has been stated as 'rest', it is quite clear that the selectors have lost patience with the senior spin duo and are looking at other prospects for their roles. With flat pitches and stricter rules on bowling actions, finger spinners are gradually being phased out of white-ball cricket.

Extra Cover: What if Bhagwat Chandrasekhar and Bishan Singh Bedi had been 'rested'?

Admittedly, the likes of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have grabbed every opportunity that they have received thus far. However, Ashwin should have been picked as one of the three spin options in the squad.

Unlike in the 50-over format where he is struggling to make any impact, the Tamil Nadu off-spinner has a commendable track record in T20Is. With 52 wickets from 46 matches at an average of 22.94, Ashwin is the highest wicket-taker for India in T20Is. With his proven ability to tackle pressure, he deserves to be among India's front-line spinners in the shortest format as well.