The Captain's Exile: Sourav Ganguly (2005)
The conflict between captain Sourav Ganguly and coach Greg Chappell in 2005 is one of the most turbulent chapters in modern Indian cricket. After a disagreement on a tour of Zimbabwe, Chappell reportedly sent a confidential email to the board, questioning
Ganguly's fitness to lead. This sparked a chain of events that saw Ganguly, who had just led the team to a series win, unceremoniously sacked first as captain and then dropped from the team altogether. The decision caused a national uproar and destabilized the team, which crashed out of the 2007 World Cup in the group stages under Chappell's watch. Ganguly would later make a heroic comeback, but his ouster remains a case study in how personal discord can derail a national team.
The '3D' Fiasco: Ambati Rayudu (2019)
For over a year, Ambati Rayudu was groomed to be India's No. 4 batsman for the 2019 ODI World Cup. He was a consistent performer in the middle order, but when the squad was announced, he was shockingly omitted. In his place, the selectors picked Vijay Shankar. The justification from then-chief selector MSK Prasad was that Shankar offered a 'three-dimensional' skill set (batting, bowling, and fielding). The explanation was met with disbelief and ridicule, most famously from Rayudu himself, who posted a sarcastic tweet: 'Just Ordered a new set of 3d glasses to watch the world cup'. The tweet went viral and effectively ended his international career, as he was overlooked again for injury replacements during the tournament and retired shortly after.
The Future Missed: Rohit Sharma (2011)
It seems unthinkable now, but Rohit Sharma, one of the greatest white-ball cricketers of all time, was left out of India's victorious 2011 World Cup squad. At the time, Rohit was a prodigious but inconsistent talent. The selection committee, led by Kris Srikkanth, opted for leg-spinner Piyush Chawla instead, a decision reportedly influenced by captain MS Dhoni's preference for an extra bowling option. While India lifted the trophy at Rohit's home ground in Mumbai, he had to watch from the sidelines, a setback he later called career-changing. The selectors at the time admitted it was an unfortunate call, but they prioritized having multiple all-rounders in the squad. It remains a glaring 'what if' in an otherwise perfect campaign.
A Very, Very Special Omission: VVS Laxman (2003)
VVS Laxman, a pillar of India's celebrated Test batting lineup, never played in a single World Cup. His best chance came in 2003, when he was in fine form. However, captain Sourav Ganguly and coach John Wright controversially pushed for Dinesh Mongia instead. The logic was that Mongia was a better fielder and offered a part-time spin bowling option, which fit the team's desired balance of seven batsmen. Despite the selectors reportedly being in favour of picking Laxman, they ultimately caved to the captain's demand. While India reached the final, Mongia had a forgettable tournament, and many still argue that Laxman's sublime skill and composure were sorely missed in the final against Australia.
The Triple Centurion's Disappearance: Karun Nair
In December 2016, Karun Nair did something only one Indian had done before him: score a triple century in Test cricket. His unbeaten 303 against England should have been the start of a long and fruitful career. Instead, it became a baffling footnote. After a few low scores in the subsequent series, he was dropped. More puzzlingly, during a 2018 tour of England, he was kept in the squad but never played a match, even when a replacement player was flown in and picked ahead of him. Nair later revealed that there was no communication from the selectors about why he was sidelined. His case is often cited as a prime example of poor man-management and a failure to nurture a rare talent.
