IPL 2019: 5 deserving players who haven't got chances in international cricket

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has provided opportunities to many aspiring youngsters and veterans to prove themselves and get selected for the international matches. There have been many players like Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah who have got through directly to the national side due to IPL performances.

Most selectors, who thought that IPL performances shouldn't be considered, now take into account the performances clearly. Yet, there have been a bunch of cricketers who have deserved a chance in international cricket but haven't got it. It might be due to a variety of reasons like availability of better players or conditions not suiting their style of play.

Here are 5 deserving players who haven't yet got opportunities in international cricket:

(Note: The player must be uncapped and must have played a minimum of 30 IPL games.)

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#5- Iqbal Abdulla ( Kolkata Knight Riders)

Iqbal Abdulla is a left-arm orthodox spinner and lower order batsman who played for the Kolkata Knight Riders and later, RCB in the IPL. Iqbal revelled in the U-19 team as he finished as the third-highest wicket taker in the 2008 U-19 World Cup and was known for his energy and fielding efforts.

He won the 'Emerging Player'of the Tournament' in the 2011 season playing for KKR, picking up 16 wickets with a stringent economy of 6.10 and great bowling average.

With the arrival of Sunil Narine next season, Iqbal didn't get as many chances but still continued to maintain his consistency in the chances he got with an economy of 6.53 and picked up 4 wickets. He later switched sides to RCB and slowly faded away and wasn't part of the proceedings in IPL 2018. He continues to play in Ranji Trophy for Mumbai. Iqbal deserved a chance after his great performances and he will consider himself unlucky.

#4- Nitish Rana

Nitish Rana

Nitish Rana created quite the stir when he was on the top of the batting charts for the 1st half of the 2017 IPL season playing for the Mumbai Indians. Rana's form faded away but the impact he created remained and Nitish Rana became a known name in the IPL. He was bought by KKR in 2018 and had a decent season and the Delhi batsman even picked up Kohli and ABD's wickets off successive deliveries.

It's been surprising that the Indian team didn't consider him for selection even after his great performances in the IPL as well as the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Ranjit Trophy for Delhi. While both Yuvraj and Raina underperformed in T20s, Rana could have been given a chance. He is a member of the Emerging Players' Team'and can get an international chance in the future but he should have got it earlier.

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#3- Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav was part of the Mumbai Indians in 2012 and returned to them in the 2018 season and made quite an impact. He was the highest uncapped run scorer of the tournament with 512 runs at an average of 36.57 in his new position at the top of the order.

He was underutilized in KKR where he batted at number 6 or 7 and his new form should have got him a place in the Indian squad but he wasn't even considered for selection. The impressive Ambati Rayudu was certainly the better choice but India could've given Surya a chance either in the Asia Cup or against the Windies where they experimented with the pacers.

He might not be the solution to their middle order problems but being a consistent performer in both IPL and domestic cricket, he deserved a chance which hasn't come his way yet.

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#2- Rajat Bhatia

Rajat Bhatia has been one of the most consistent performers in IPL history and played his matches for the Delhi Daredevils, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals and the Rising Pune Super Giants.

Bhatia is one of the most unlucky cricketers and has been unfortunate not to get selected. A medium pacer with subtle variations, Bhatia has picked up 71 wickets in his IPL career with a decent economy of 7.40 and is handy with the bat too. He has played for the Delhi and TN State Team and could've been India's answer to their search for a genuine all-rounder but despite his best efforts, he was never on the radar of the selectors and went largely unnoticed. Bhatia deserved an international chance but never got it.

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#1- Shahbaz Nadeem

Shahbaz Nadeem was named for India's T20 squad against the West Indies and was expected to play in the final match after India won the first two but didn't get a chance to play. An exemplary domestic performance and great IPL stats earned him this spot but his dream of getting his first cap hasn't been fulfilled yet.

The left arm spinner from Jharkhand has been highly rated and his stats support him. He has picked up 307 wickets in First Class cricket with 13 5 wicket hauls and has good IPL stats as well.

He has picked up 40 wickets at a great economy rate of 7.36 and even picked up 8 wickets in a single limited overs innings against Rajasthan in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, setting a new record. With his great stats with consistence and accuracy, Nadeem should have got a chance long back and can be India's future spinner. He's a truly deserving player and deservedly tops this rankings.