5 players who might get dropped from India squad if they fail to perform on West Indies tour

Team India ended their World Test Championship 2021-23 campaign on a disappointing note. Rohit Sharma-led side lost the World Test Championship Final for the second consecutive time as they lost the first WTC Final to New Zealand. This time they went down to Australia by a huge margin of 209 runs. However, the Indian men will be looking forward to beginning the WTC 2023-2025 cycle on a triumphant note as they take on West Indies from July 12 for a two-Test match series, three ODI games and a five-match T20I series. The BCCI announced India’s squad for the ODI and Test games on Friday, June 23. Where some players got their India call with the announcement, there are some who will make their comeback in the squad. Needless to say, there will be a lot of pressure on a few names as they might face an axe if they fail to perform during India’s upcoming assignment. In this article, we have listed five picks who might get dropped from the India squad in case they don't perform well. 1. KS Bharat KS Bharat got an opportunity to be a part of the India squad during the World Test Championship Final in absence of Rishabh Pant. Not only this, but Bharat was also a part of the India squad in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, even though Bharat played excellently behind the stumps, his batting records haven’t been satisfactory enough. While the wicketkeepers are expected to perform well with their bat as well, Bharat has scored only 129 runs in eight innings so far in the longest format of the game. The Andhra cricketer has got an opportunity to show his mettle in the upcoming games, and in case he fails to perform, Bharat might get dropped from the squad in further tournaments. #PAGE_BREAK#2. Navdeep Saini Navdeep Saini made his India debut in 2021, and since then he has only played 2 Test games. Saini played excellently during those games and was considered to have a permanent place in the Indian squad. However, the Haryana player didn’t get any chance, and due to an injury, he was sidelined for two years. The 30-year-old player has once again got to join the India side, and it is sure that he will put his best foot forward. This ‘unexpected’ call might change his fortune in the India team, given he performs well. However, if it doesn’t happen, Saini might once again lose his spot in the squad. #PAGE_BREAK#3. Jaydev Unadkat India’s another ‘forgotten’ name Jaydev Unadkat’s 10-year-long wait may finally get over as he has been called to be on India side for ODI games against West Indies. Though, it will be interesting to see if he would be able to fix his spot in the playing XI or not. The left-arm fast bowler has been a part of seven ODI games for India, where he took eight wickets. Unadkat’s last 50-over game was against West Indies, and even though he was included in the ODI series against Australia in 2022, the Gujarat-based cricketer didn’t get a chance in the playing XI. #PAGE_BREAK#4. Umran Malik The next name that will have a lot of pressure to make his mark in West Indies is the 23-year-old fast bowler Umran Malik. Malik has been signed up for India’s ODI squad, and needless to say, the Jammu and Kashmir cricketer has got a solid chance to prove his worth before the ODI World Cup 2023. Malik last played ODI against New Zealand in 2023, and before that he had a decent game against Bangladesh in a three-match ODI series. Despite having a below par performance in the IPL 2023 season for SunRisers Hyderabad, the BCCI selectors have kept their faith in Malik. In the recent season, Malik played only eight games and picked up five wickets. In addition to this, Malik has played eight ODIs so far, and has 13 wickets in his name at an economy rate of 6.45. The 23-year-old will try his best to make his mark and impress the selectors before the ODI World Cup 2023. #PAGE_BREAK#5. Ishan Kishan Another name that might eventually end up losing his spot in the India squad in case of a sub-par performance during the West Indies tour is the wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan. Kishan was a backup wicketkeeper during the WTC Final 2023 and has again got a call to be a part of the ODI and Test squads. Kishan’s performance has been down in the ODIs lately and he could score only three runs in his last game against Australia in March 2023.