5 Indian cricketers who faded away from international cricket

Many cricket players who were incredibly talented at the beginning of their careers but faded away soon enough, leaving fans to wonder what went wrong. Numerous cricket players exhibit remarkable promise and achieve early success, but for a variety of reasons, including injuries, slumps in form, or off-field issues. They found it difficult to stay on the team. Let's examine five such Indian athletes who were brilliant yet quickly vanished from our memory.

1. Narendra Hirwani

With a little assistance from the ill-prepared Madras ground, a 19-year-old bespectacled prodigy destroyed the formidable West Indies team with his flawless leg-spin control. He finished the game with match stats of 16 for 136 after taking eight wickets in each of the two innings. Hirwani claimed 20 additional wickets in the following three Test matches. 

However, Hirwani's effectiveness declined as the action moved outside of India, and he was quickly removed from the team. He returned to the side sometimes for the remainder of his career, but he was never able to solidify his position.

2. Joginder Sharma

Joginder Sharma's valiant final over in the 2007 T20 World Cup final against Pakistan, which India won, cemented his place in cricket legend. But his fame didn't last long. In 2004, Joginder, a right-arm medium-fast bowler, made his IPL debut with the Chennai Super Kings. Unfortunately, he only played four ODIs and four T20Is for India, hence his international career never really got off. Joginder's career as a professional cricket player ended in 2011 after he was involved in a terrible vehicle accident. On February 3, 2023, he said goodbye to the sport and is now a Deputy Superintendent with the Haryana Police.

3. Rohan Gavaskar

Rohan Gavaskar, the son of famous Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, failed to live up to the expectations that accompanied his last name. However, it was his outstanding domestic cricket performances rather than his father's influence that led to his selection for the Indian national squad.

Rohan Gavaskar, a slow left-arm orthodox spinner and middle-order left-handed batter, was renowned for his aggressiveness and garnered numerous awards in domestic cricket. However, he failed to convert that at the International stage and finished his international career with 11 ODIs, scoring 151 runs at an average of 18.87.

4. Vinod Kambli

Like his childhood friend Sachin Tendulkar, Vinod Kambli was predicted to become a world cricket superstar when playing school cricket. To his credit, Kambli had a tremendous start to his career, with his bat producing a symphony of runs. Known for his aggressive batting, he had two double hundreds in his first few Test matches, setting off an incredible career. 

However, his concentration wavered like a missed catch, and his career ended as suddenly as it had started. His downfall was exacerbated by his unpredictable conduct, frequent injuries, and off-field scandals.

5. Prithvi Shaw

Prithvi Shaw was once thought to be the next big thing in Indian cricket, but his career has been hampered by off-field difficulties, uneven performances, and physical issues. A teenager making a spectacular entrance with a century on his Test debut. Dreaming of a lengthy reign at the top, he had fans singing his name. However, his early brightness dimmed like a shooting star, leaving a trail of unanswered questions about what could have been. Even at the base price, he was not sold at the most recent 2025 IPL auction. His disciplinary problems have prevented him from reaching his full potential as one of the game's best players.

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