Playing for the Indian cricket team is a dream for billions of young Indian cricketers. Numerous players train for years to achieve this dream and toil in domestic cricket. Several of those players have made their dream come true and don the Indian team jersey across the formats.
However, there have been a handful of players who have gone on to have a lengthy and notable career for India. Other players have begun on a high with the ball or the bat in a few matches but then tapered off into anonymity. Today we will take a look at 5 such Indian cricketers who faded away after a promising start to their careers in India.
Here are the 5 promising Indian cricketers who faded away after their debut:
- Dinesh Mongia
Dinesh Mongia was part of the Indian ODI team in the first half of the 2000s. Hailing from Punjab, the left-hander was included in the Indian team, as he could also bowl some left-arm spin. Mongia made his debut for India in 2001 and went on to play 56 ODIs and one T20I for the Men in Blue. He was also picked for India’s squad for the ICC World Cup 2003 over VVS Laxman.
He made 1230 runs and took 14 wickets in 57 ODIs with one century and 4 fifties, with the highest score of 159* against Zimbabwe. His batting lacked the kind of flair that was needed for changing the ODI game, and a lack of big-hitting proved to be his downfall. India found better alternatives for Mongia and the cricketer faded into oblivion once he joined the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL).
- Karun Nair
Karun Nair came into the Indian team with huge promises. With a very good first-class record, Karun Nair made his India Test debut in 2016 against England. He also made history as he became only the second Indian to score a triple century (303*) in Chennai against England. India found their perfect number, six. He also played 2 ODIs, scoring 46 runs in total.
However, Nair could not replicate his success going forward and managed only one fifty. He was dropped from the Indian team after the home Australia tests. However, after being in oblivion for almost 9 years, Nair was included in India’s squad for the England tests but managed only one fifty in 4 tests and was dropped again.
- Vinod Kambli
Vinod Kambli was considered to be more talented than his childhood friend, legendary Sachin Tendulkar. Kambli made his India debut in 1991 and had quite a Test career. He scored 1084 runs in 12 Tests, hitting 4 centuries and 3 fifties. He was the first Indian to score consecutive double-tons, but his Test career came to an end before he turned 25, as he had a glaring issue with short-pitch bowling.
Kambli continued in ODI cricket and made 2477 runs in 104 games with 2 centuries and 14 fifties. Kambli last played for India in 2000 and was then dropped thanks to the emergence of Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif. Kambli was one of the best talents to play for India; unfortunately, he couldn’t continue for a long time.
- Narendra Hirwani
Narendra Hirwani made his India Test debut against West Indies in 1988 in Chennai and created a world record with figures of 16/136 in the Test. He took eight wickets in each innings, leading India to a big win. This remains the world record for best bowling figures by a bowler on his Test debut.
However, the next 16 Tests only brought him 50 more wickets, and he could never replicate the same success again. He was in and out of the Indian squad, playing 17 Tests and 18 ODIs for India from 1988 to 1996. The leg-spinner showed great promise with the ball in his first few games but couldn’t sustain that success for a long time.
- Prithvi Shaw
Prithvi Shaw was the poster boy of Indian cricket and made his India debut at 18 years of age, just after winning the ICC U19 World Cup in 2018. He made his Test debut even more special, hitting a 99-ball century. He did well in a few more matches, hitting two more fifties and scoring 339 runs in 5 Tests. He also scored 189 runs in 6 ODIs.
However, Shaw had visible flaws in his batting technique that were exposed during the 2020-21 Test series in Australia. Then he suffered an injury, and the rest of his downfall occurred thanks to his indiscipline and lack of commitment to his fitness. He lost his place in the Mumbai team as well and had to move to Maharashtra. But he still hasn’t been able to find that form and fitness that made people term him the next Sachin Tendulkar.
