The 2024 edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy has entered the knockout stage. Here are five Indian T20I discards who have put their hand up in the tournament thus far.

Shreyas Iyer
278 runs @ 69.5, SR 200.0

It's now been nearly a year since Iyer lost his central contract, and over a year since his last appearance for India in the shortest format. He's now an IPL-winning captain, and only by a hair the second-most expensive player in the league's history.

Also read: Why India moved away from Shardul Thakur in overseas Tests

Iyer has been on fire for Mumbai in the latest edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, kicking off the season with an unbeaten 130 off just 57 balls against Goa before reeling off scores of 71 (39), 32 (18), 20 (14) and 25 (11) batting at No.3.

Despite all this, an India recall in T20 cricket still looks unlikely. But never say never.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar
11 wickets @ 12.9, ER 5.6

Bhuvneshwar has continued to impress in the T20 format, despite last playing for India in this format over two years ago. He has been a banker in the Powerplay for Uttar Pradesh in this SMAT season, combining an uncanny ability to pick up wickets with his usual miserly bowling.

His spell of 3-6 in four overs against Jharkhand has been the standout performance so far, and his 2-30 against Andhra Pradesh yesterday took him to 310 wickets in T20 cricket, the third-highest of any Indian man ever.

Yuzvendra Chahal
10 wickets @ 11.9, ER 4.8

He was in India's squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup, but Yuzvendra Chahal last played for India in August 2023. Like Bhuvneshwar, he remains an excellent player at the domestic level, and a solid one in the IPL.

Haryana have been knocked out of the competition, but Chahal emerges from their campaign with much credit. He may not have taken as many wickets as a few others, but bowled dry spells time and again – conceding over 20 runs just three times in seven innings.

Jitesh Sharma
124 runs @ 41.3, SR 229.6

It's probably harsh to call Jitesh an India discard, but the signs are bleak for him. He was in the squad for the latest tour to South Africa, but never got on the pitch. Between Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan it seems unlikely he will add to his nine T20I caps.

He is making the right noises though. Jitesh doesn't have a volume of runs behind him, but this is a natural consequence of his role as a finisher. His cameos for Vidarbha have been invaluable – 27* (9), 29 (20), 20 (5), 10* (6) and 38 (14) is not a shabby run of knocks at all.

Read more: How has Mohammed Shami fared for Bengal since his return from injury?

Harshal Patel
11 wickets @ 16.3, ER 7.8

Harshal has won the IPL's Purple Cap twice since 2021, including in 2024, but hasn't played for the country since January 2023. He remains a more-than-handy death bowler at the domestic level, though.

Bowling primarily at the back end of the innings for Haryana in an unusually high-scoring season, Harshal's economy rate ends up looking a lot more impressive, even if the wickets column is boosted slightly by a haul of 5-12 against Arunachal Pradesh.

Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.

Related tags:

Cover Stories IndiaSeries Cover Stories