Media365
Ruturaj Gaikwad is once again on the outside, looking in. The young batter scored a fine hundred against South Africa in the recent series. Many felt it should have helped his case. But when India announced their squad for the ODI series against New Zealand on Saturday, Ruturaj’s name was missing.The selectors chose Rishabh Pant instead. Ruturaj is seen by many as a complete batter. He has shown consistency. He has technique. He has temperament. Still, he could not find a place in the team. This is not the first time it has happened.
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin spoke about the decision on his YouTube channel. He shared what many fans were already thinking.“Could Gaikwad have been kept in the squad? I think that was a real possibility,” he said.Ashwin explained that the selectors were forced to make a tough call. It was a straight choice between Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rishabh Pant. Pant got the nod mainly because he is a left-hander.Ashwin felt Shreyas Iyer’s comeback was never in doubt. He said it was “his rightful position.” But he questioned the need for picking a second specialist wicketkeeper when a batter like Ruturaj was available.“Between a second wicketkeeper and a batter, you can get a keeper from anywhere to cover,” he added.Ashwin also praised Ruturaj’s batting skills. He said Ruturaj should not be seen only as an opener. In his view, Ruturaj can bat in the middle order as well.“At four or five, I’m sticking my neck out, his batting against spin, his running between the wickets, and his ability to close out an innings is phenomenal.”Still, Ashwin admitted he worries about Ruturaj’s situation.“My main concern is Ruturaj Gaikwad’s mindset,” he further stated.He pointed out that Ruturaj’s T20 numbers are strong, yet chances at the international level have been limited.“Right now, it’s a straight choice between Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rishabh Pant, with Pant having the advantage of being a left-hander.”The road ahead is not easy. Big names like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma continue to block the top order.“Ruturaj will likely get a long run in ODIs only after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retire from the format.”India’s squad for NZ ODIs: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wk), Shreyas Iyer* (vc), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal.*subject to fitness clearance
