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Virat Kolhi has been leading the new and young Indian side. In the midst of this transition, many senior players have been sidelined and have struggled to make a comeback in the team. While nothing has been etched in stone, the signs of their return are not good. The next 2 years are very important for this young Indian side which is eyeing the World Cup 2019 that will be played in England. Along the way, the Men in Blue will want to build a strong unit keeping the tournament in mind. Here is a list of top 5 players who must be on tenterhooks about their future in the game at the highest levels. (Reuters)
1) Gautam Gambhir: For a long time before his debut, India tried really hard to find a perfect opening partner for Virender Sehwag. They tried a lot of combinations ranging from Rahul Dravid to Sachin Tendulkar but none came close to the opening partnership between Viru and Gambhir. Gambhir is the only Indian batsman to have scored centuries in five consecutive Test matches, he even rose to No.1 rank in ICC batsmen Test rankings. He played a pivotal role in India's 2007 and 2011 World Cup campaign, as he was the highest run-getter in both the finals. But he has been frozen out of the team due to his bad form and considering his age of 35. He last played for India in 2016 against England. With Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma as the new opening pair, it is hard for him to make a comeback. (AP) 
2) Praveen Kumar: Praveen Kumar was an asset to the Indian team, especially in the shorter formats. His ability to swing the new ball along with hard-hitting prowess down the order made him a very useful player for the Indian team. He made his name in the tri-series in Australia in 2008 where he played an important role in India’s triumph. He was selected for the 2011 World Cup but had to be replaced by S Sreesanth when he got injured. He had a successful tour to England in 2011 where he was India’s best bowler in a forgettable series. But injuries halted his rise and he lost his form and fitness. It has been five years since he last wore the blue jersey. Considering the number of options India have in the pace bowling department, it is next to impossible for Kumar to make a comeback. (AP) 
3) Yuvraj Singh: Amongst the cleanest hitters of a cricket ball, when Yuvraj Singh first started making waves in junior and Under-19 cricket, everyone believed that the future Indian batting star had arrived for the long term. One of the most electrifying allrounders of the world, Yuvraj Singh was the backbone of Indian cricket for more than 10 years. His performance in the T20 World Cup 207 and ICC World Cup 2011 is something that is still imprinted in every cricket lovers mind. But after his battle with cancer and his comeback in the blue jersey, Yuvi has found it hard to make a mark in the team. He has struggled for quite some time and was eventually omitted from the team in India's tour of Sri Lanka. His comeback looks quite tough when the team has Hardik Pandya and Manish Pandey as the new middle order batsmen. (AP) 
4) Robin Utthapa: The ramp shot at the Oval against England in 2007, the walking hit over the bowler's head and then his improvised batting are the first thoughts that come to one's mind when the name Robin Uthappa is mentioned. Uthappa had a dream debut as he scored a well compiled 86, opening the innings at Indore. However, his form dipped after the Asia Cup in 2008 and with the emergence of Virat Kohli, Uthappa was overlooked by the selectors. Although he gave glimpses of his talent in IPL but could not do enough to force the selectors to select him. (AP) 
5) Suresh Raina: Suresh Raina burst onto the international scene as a precociously talented 19-year-old during the Greg Chappell regime in 2005. He immediately impressed everyone with his ability to hit the ball cleanly, his range of shots and his temperament. Raina looked set to achieve big when the wheels of a successful debut came slightly unhinged. As the year progressed, Raina slowly crystallized his position in the Indian team for the ODIs, coming up with vital cameos towards the end of the innings or shoring up the innings if wickets had fallen early. He did get a few opportunities up the order too, but with India's top-order comprising of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh, Raina's main role was always going to be in the lower middle-order. But there is no gainsaying the fact that Raina has a serious problem with short deliveries and over the years in the limited overs format he has worked out a way to tackle them, but is still vulnerable. But his poor performance lately got his name struck off the Indian side. (AP)
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