#2 Gautam Gambhir
The Delhi-lad was a permanent member of the Indian side across all formats for a number of years. He is the unsung hero of India’s triumphs in the 2007 World T20 and 2011 ODI World Cup as he was the leading run-getter for the country in both finals. Additionally, he played an instrumental role in taking the side to No.1 ranking in Tests in 2008.
But a dip in form and the emergence of openers like Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan showed Gambhir the exit. He made a return to the Test side last year against England where he scored a half-century. But the return of the regular openers led to his exclusion from the troop. With India having plenty of young openers to choose from, Gautam Gambhir’s selection looks close to impossible at the moment.