Among the leading wicket-takers in the history of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), India's premier T20 domestic competition, none has participated in more than 10 T20Is for the national team. Thirteen of these players have yet to make their T20I debut, and 19 are either not affiliated with an IPL team or seldom find a place in the playing 11.

A similar scenario unfolds in the context of the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT), the country's primary domestic 50-overs competition. While a few top wicket-takers have accumulated more than 10 ODIs for India, most are poised to go under the hammer at the IPL 2024 auction on December 19, starting at the lowest base price.

In the current domestic season, Siddharth Kaul from Punjab emerged as the highest wicket-taker in SMAT's history, surpassing the 150-wicket mark in the VHT. Kaul boasts 120 wickets in 87 SMAT matches at an average of 18.25 and 155 wickets in 75 VHT matches at an average of 20.21.

Having played three ODIs and three T20Is for India in 2018-19, Kaul secured no wickets in ODIs. However, in T20Is against Ireland, England, and Australia, he delivered performances with figures of 1/4, 2/35, and 1/45 before facing exclusion from the team.

During the last complete IPL season he played, Kaul emerged as the joint second-highest wicket-taker with 21 scalps at an average of 26.04. However, in the subsequent five seasons (three with SunRisers Hyderabad and two with Royal Challengers Bangalore), his participation dwindled to seven, one, eight, one, and zero matches, respectively.

I am never going to stop trying. I will break that door open. I will break that door with such force that they'll have to say, "Brother, you please come in". I'd like to achieve that.

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