MUMBAI, Aug. 23 -- Before Shreyas Iyer's non-selection in India's T20 Asia Cup squad, Kuldeep Yadav not finding a place in the Test playing eleven in the England series was the topic of much debate in Indian cricket. Such is the amount of talent that is being churned out in the country season after season that the level of competition for spots in the Indian sides has reached unprecedented levels. The demands on cricketers trying to establish themselves in the national side is huge. It is not just about breaking the door down at the domestic level to win selection. Staying there is a massive challenge. There are many names that have missed out on the Asia Cup squad despite being as good as those who have been included. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Prasidh Krishna and KL Rahul can walk into any international T20 side. The point is all of them had got their chances in the India team but are yet to establish themselves. One great example for an Indian cricketer is Sunil Gavaskar. He has often emphasised in TV commentary that the onus is on a player to make himself undroppable. The Indian batting legend had gone out and done exactly that by scoring 774 runs in his debut Test series. Once he made the break, he ensured he stayed there, maintaining consistency, and finishing his 125-Test career across 15 years with a brilliant 96. If that is the kind of commitment international sport demanded during his time, the IPL-fuelled explosion of talent now makes it many times harder. Once you lose your spot for whatever reason, then it is not the same, says former chief selector Kiran More. "Everyone is given a chance, if somebody is deserving the selectors will go out of the way to create a chance for you - 'this boy is good, he has the potential, let's give him an opportunity'. You have to grab it with both hands. If you don't, then there is a question mark all the time (against his name)," says the former India wicketkeeper. Pant is an example of a player who can walk into any team, but he was not in the ODI XI at the Champions Trophy and in the T20 squad. "If you miss the opportunity, there are people who are waiting. Once you establish yourself then nobody can touch you. Every match, day-and-night, you have to perform. It is tough competition so you have to be ready, can't relax." Apart from talent and technical skills, for the selectors it comes down to many things - hunger to perform, professionalism and ambition. Test skipper Shubman Gill is a classic example of ambition. His aim is to break records, be rated as among the best batters in the world. Compare Gill to his India Under-19 captain, Prithvi Shaw. In the junior days, Shaw was ahead. He got his India debut ahead of Gill, but a lack of ambition and discipline derailed his India career. He is again trying to rebuild his career. Indian cricket challenges you in many ways. Karun Nair, Kuldeep and Sanju Samson, in different formats, are examples of players who missed their first opportunities to cement their places. As seen in Nair's case, it is never easy to make your way back again. He had to wait for eight years, going through the grind of Ranji Trophy to break the door open for a Test comeback. The recent Test series in England was again a chance frittered away as Nair got only one half-century in four matches and eight innings. Due to the impetus provided by IPL, the competition is intense in the T20 side. After being in and out of the T20 side, Kuldeep seemed to have established himself with the 2024 World Cup win. However, a long lay-off due to groin injury kept him out since then. Leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy came in and performed impressively against South Africa (12 wickets in 4 games) and England (14 wickets in 5 games). Kuldeep now faces tough competition from Chakravarthy for a spot in the playing XI. The most challenging part is when you are targetted by the opposition for a chink in your game. After a brilliant show in South Africa, where he hit two hundreds, Samson's T20 career seemed to have taken off. Against England at home, however, fast bowlers Jofra Archer and Mark Wood gave him a tough time, cramping him up with short-pitched bowling. He is no more a certainty in the playing XI with Gill likely to be preferred as opener in the Asia Cup. When he lost his T20 place after the 2023 series against Australia, Shreyas Iyer also was seen as having difficulty putting away short bowling. The 30-year-old Mumbai player worked on it and batted impressively against fast bowlers in the ICC Champions Trophy and the last IPL, but he couldn't convince the selectors to be picked ahead of young Tilak Varma for Asia Cup. More says the selectors mainly go with the call of the captain and coach. "It is a good headache (having a vast talent pool). It is not just the Asia Cup, there's future planning as well. The important thing is what the coach and captain wants - 95 to 99 per cent they are given the players they want. That is what goes inside the selection meeting room. It is a pressure job. You get criticism here and there but you can't please everyone."...