Raina’s is a curious case. He is arguably the best batsman the IPL has ever had – more runs than anyone else, more consecutive matches, three titles … yet, over the years, even as his IPL fortunes went up, his international status went down. October 2015 is when he last turned out in an ODI before making a surprise return for the limited-overs leg of the 2018 England tour, after a gap of three years.

Raina, a member of the World Cup-winning squad of 2011, was India’s first centurion in T20I cricket and at one time the second-in-line after MS Dhoni for the finisher’s role. He has batted at No. 5 and 6 for most parts of his ODI career, averaging 35.47 and 34.83 in those positions (strike rates 92 and 94, respectively), thereby providing a perfect foil for Dhoni, who could then tee off.

But now, the road seems to have hit a dead-end. At the moment, for the Asia Cup, men like Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey and Kedar Jadhav are the top picks. Unless there’s one more flutter left and, who knows, the selectors are just trying out other options before returning to the veteran.