Indian cricket fans often find themselves totally confused. The team management shuffles the squad so much that it makes your head spin. People are talking non-stop about the BCCI selection controversies in 2026 this month. But honestly, a long tradition of perplexing exclusions causes this confusion. Fans still talk about the time the selectors made sure Karun Nair dropped out of the picture right after making history. Now, everyone on social media is venting about the ongoing Sanju Samson selection politics.
6 Unlucky Players Who Won Matches for India Only to Get Cut
While the BCCI selection controversies 2026 talk gets louder, let’s look at six guys who played like heroes and still faced the axe.
1. Karun Nair
It’s almost impossible to explain what the management was thinking here. They made sure Karun Nair dropped off the radar the second he finished his triple century. In 2016, he became just the second Indian to hit 303∗ against England. Then, the selectors just left him out for the very next game. To this day, fans call the Karun Nair dropped situation the biggest mystery in Indian cricket. No other team in the world would treat a triple-centurion like that. They pushed Karun Nair, who dropped into the shadows and didn’t look back.
2. Sanju Samson
The noise over Sanju Samson selection politics is basically what it feels like to be a fan these days. He smashes centuries and maintains a high strike rate, yet he spends more time sitting on the bench than actually playing. Fans are convinced Sanju Samson’s selection politics is the only reason he misses the big tournaments. Every time he hits a match-winning knock, the Sanju Samson selection politics machine starts up again. The wicketkeeper-batter usually ends up watching the next series from home.
3. Manoj Tiwary
Manoj Tiwary played out of his skin for an unbeaten 104 against the West Indies in 2011. He walked away with the Player of the Match trophy. But then the captain and selectors just ignored him for 14 straight games. It still makes no sense to anyone who follows the game. All that momentum he built just died while he sat on the sidelines.
4. Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan went wild against Bangladesh in 2022, hitting the fastest ODI double ton ever. He racked up 210 runs off just 131 balls. Then the management dropped him for the next series because they wanted Shubman Gill instead. It’s the same vibe that saw Karun Nair dropped years ago. It shows that even a historic performance won’t keep your spot safe.
5. Amit Mishra
Hardly anyone has had it rougher than Amit Mishra. Back in 2016, he tore New Zealand apart with a 5/18 spell in the final ODI. He won Player of the Match and Player of the Series. Amit basically won that series for India. But the selectors still left him out of the next squad. He rarely wore the blue jersey again.
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6. Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep Yadav was the hero against Bangladesh in the 2022 Chattogram Test. He took eight wickets and even chipped in with the bat. How did the management say thanks? They dropped him for the next Test. Moves like that are exactly why the BCCI selection controversies 2026 debate stays so heated.
