In India, where fans worship their favourite player, there are a number of great players who have contributed significantly to the nation, who have put in all their talent and efforts, but somehow, they got overshadowed by their more famous peers; they did not get the opportunities, respect, and fame they deserved for their contribution to the nation. Some players have swung matches singlehandedly in our favour but never got enough chances to showcase their talent and become permanent members of the team. There are others whose talent got wasted in warming the bench; they got selected to the fifteen-member squad very often but could not make their place in the playing eleven. Then there are others whose career is clouded by injuries, despite the talent and opportunities they could not play regularly for the nation. This article is about Indian players who showcased their brilliance on the field but did not receive the fame they deserved. We will look into the Top 10 Most Underrated Indian Cricketers.
1. Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan is well-known around the country for his attacking nature; this opener was a nightmare for any bowler once he was in his zone. But somehow, in recent years, with the coming of new age openers, he had been ignored. There was a time when he played regularly in the team, but he is not on the scene anymore. He is referred to as the “Gabbar” in cricketing circles. Dhawan is the fastest Indian to reach the mark of 1000, 2000, and 3000 runs in ODI cricket. He was awarded the Player of the Tournament award of the Champions Trophy 2013. He won the 2014 Wisden Cricketer of the Year award and was the leading run-scorer of the 2017 Champions Trophy. Such has been his record track!
2. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
A wonderful swing-bowler who makes the ball sail beautifully through the air, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the first Indian bowler to take a fifer in all three formats of the game. He has won the IPL Purple Cap for most wickets two times in a row in 2016 and 2017. He was named in the ICC Champions Trophy Team of the Tournament in 2013 and won the ICC People’s Choice Award in 2014. Among the bowlers with more than 100 wickets in IPL, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is second to only Lasith Malinga in terms of better economy rate. He has bowled the most dot balls in the history of the IPL.
3. Ambati Rayudu
At the very early stage of his career, he was reckoned by Sunil Gavaskar as the next big thing in Indian Cricket. This player with six IPL titles to his name had started big at a very early stage in his career, but for various reasons, was not given the opportunity to represent India till he was 28 and never got a chance to play any World Cup match. He was the captain of the 2004 U-19 World Cup, and players like Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, and Dinesh Karthik played under him.
4. Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson, whom people refer to as the next Captain Cool, for his calm-mindedness while captaining Rajasthan Royals. Well-known International players like Jos Buttler, Trent Boult, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Yuzvendra Chahal, to name a few, play under him. He is well known for his power-hitting prowess, his ability to put the ball beyond the fence, and to keep calm and composed in tense situations. But somehow, he has not received enough opportunities to showcase his talent on the international stage. He is the youngest to captain the Kerala team in the Ranji Trophy.
5. Mayank Agarwal
He is mainly an opener who can forge a long partnership; he can also play at any other position. He is counted among the few players who have scored two double-centuries in the same year. Though he has had limited opportunities to represent India, he always put his best in the match. He also has the experience of over 100 T20 matches in the leagues. And has a strike rate of 133.66 in the IPL, with a high score of 106 runs. He is a versatile cricketer who would have had more success and fame only if he had had more chances to play international matches. He was the high scorer of the 2017-18 domestic season with 2141 runs to his name, for which he was awarded the Madhavrao Scindia Award.
6. Gautam Gambhir
A member of the 2011 ICC ODI World Cup-winning Indian team, he played a crucial innings of 97 runs in the final against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. He is the only Indian to score hundreds in five consecutive Test matches. Gambhir led KKR to the IPL Trophy in 2012 and 2014. He is the only Indian batter to score 300+ runs in four consecutive test series. He got sufficient opportunities and contributed to his full potential to the nation, but still, somehow, he was less celebrated by the media.
7. Karun Nair
A cricket lover can never forget that historic triple century Karun Nair scored against England in December 2016. He scored a mammoth score of 303 off 381 and remained unbeaten. Then and there, he showed his ability to endure long innings and score big. But unfortunately, he was dropped for the next series against Australia, and after that, he never got regular chances to showcase his ability. What could have been the beginning of an illustrious career remained just a sparkle. He also holds the record for scoring the most runs in a Ranji Trophy Final; he scored 328 runs in the 2014-15 season-final. He is only the second Indian batter after Virender Sehwag to score a triple century.
8. Hanuma Vihari
Scored a half-century on his debut, Hanuma Vihari proved his worth in every opportunity presented before him. He was the leading run-getter for Andhra in the Ranji Trophy season 2017-18; he scored 752 runs in just six matches he was part of. He was named in India B’s squad for the 2018-19 Deodhar Trophy but did not get many opportunities to represent the nation.
9. Amit Mishra
This forty-year-old spinner still baffles the batters in the India Premier League. He is the first player to take three hattricks in IPL and holds the joint world record for most wickets in any bilateral ODI series; he took 18 wickets against Zimbabwe. The way he performs at this age and for his contribution throughout his career, he deserved to get more attention in the media. He is still one of the unplayable spinners!
10. Dinesh Karthik
What most people remember by his name is the Nidahas Trophy Final, where he helped India win the match by hitting six on the last ball. Being a wicket-keeper, he did not get many opportunities for the best wicket-keeper in business was there to manage things, but indeed, he could have contributed significantly through his bat. Dinesh Karthik is the first Indian cricketer to receive the Player of the Match award in a T20 International match; he was awarded in a game against South Africa in 2006. Also, he showcased his skills significantly in the IPL, and undoubtedly, he would have achieved more success if he had regular opportunities. That’s the end of the list of the Top 10 Most Underrated Indian Cricketers; it mentions some Indian players who could have achieved more success and fame if only everything went fine, for they had both talent and potential.
