Top 5 players who lost regular place in Team India in 2023

The year 2023 has been a rollercoaster ride for Team India. They have reached the finals of two major international tournaments - the World Test Championship (WTC) and the 2023 ODI World Cup. Despite dominating throughout the campaign, they failed to come out with flying colors and their long-held dream of adding a piece of silverware to the trophy cabinet remains.

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It was also a forgettable year for certain Indian players who lost their regular place in the team due to a lack of form and team combinations. The players who performed consistently for the Men in Blue in 2022 failed to cement their spot the following year. Especially in limited-overs cricket, the Indian Cricket Board was trying to build a squad of youngsters, resulting in many veterans losing their places. 

On that note, let's take a look at the top 5 players who lost their regular place in Team India in 2023.

5. Yuzvendra Chahal

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Yuzvendra Chahal was once a regular presence in India's T20 and ODI teams. However, Kuldeep Yadav's comeback has forced the management to overlook India's all-time leading wicket-taker in T20Is. Chahal played only 9 of 23 international matches in 2023. Not part of the 2023 Asia Cup and ODI World Cup, Chahal also did not get a chance to feature in the white-ball leg of the ongoing tour of South Africa.

4. Ajinkya Rahane

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Ajinkya Rahane was earlier dropped from the Indian Test squad but made an impressive comeback in the WTC final. Although India lost the summit clash against Australia, Rahane was the standout performer for the team with scores of 89 and 46. However, as part of the revamping of the team, Rahane was left out of the squad and did not find a place in the tour of South Africa. The former Test captain featured in only 3 of 8 Test matches played in 2023. 

3. Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara is another victim of the revamp of the Indian Test team. Once a consistent performer in the whites, Pujara lost his rhythm and eventually lost his place in the team. He played only 5 Test matches in 2023 and was not part of the two-match Test series against South Africa. 

2. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar

India are badly missing the services of Bhuvaneshwar Kumar in all formats of the game. Known as the 'Swing King', the 33-year-old was a big asset for the team, but injuries sidelined him. He was India's leading wicket-taker in T20s in 2022, but did not play a single game in 2023.

1. Shikhar Dhawan

Seeing India lose in the finals of major international tournaments, the one player fans might miss the most is Shikhar Dhawan. The southpaw is known for his performance in big matches. Notably, he was the leading run-scorer in the 2013 Champions Trophy and 2017 Champions Trophy. Dhawan gradually lost his place in the Test and T20I formats and was eventually dropped from the ODI squad as well. He captained most of the ODIs in 2022 but did not play a single match in 2023.