3 Indian cricketers who could lose their place in team

The Indian cricket team is preparing itself for a busy cricketing season, starting with the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in Delhi. The Men in Blue will then participate in the Asian Games 2026, followed by a home series against West Indies. They will then travel to New Zealand before hosting Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Australia.

As the team heads into a packed season, there will be several players who will have to prove their worth in the setup, or else they risk losing their places in the team. Here are three players whose performances will be scrutinised in the upcoming season:

1. Washington Sundar

The all-rounder hasn’t been able to justify his selection, particularly in T20Is. He played just two matches during the T20 World Cup 2026 and remained wicketless, scoring just 11 runs in the one innings. Washington Sundar hasn’t picked up a single wicket in his last five T20Is and scored 25 runs from three innings. As he returns from injury, his performances are likely to garner attention.

2. Nitish Kumar Reddy

The 23-year-old is being seen as a seam all-rounder backup for Hardik Pandya. Nitish Kumar Reddy is returning after a long injury layoff but hasn’t had the kind of numbers expected out of him in white-ball formats. As Nitish returns to the India squad, the management will be hoping for him to leave a strong impression with his all-round skills, or they will look for an apt replacement.

3. Mohammed Siraj

The right-arm seamer was given a break after the IPL and returned in the Sri Lanka Test series. While Mohammed Siraj continues to be an integral part of India’s bowling attack in Tests, his ODI numbers haven’t been promising since 2025. The right-arm speedster has taken five wickets in his last six matches and will be eager to script a turnaround with India looking to build a strong pace attack in the lead-up to the ODI World Cup 2027.