New Delhi: Ruturaj Gaikwad’s non-selection in India’s squad for the upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh came as a shock to many. The prolific right-hander was expected to be the first-choice opener alongside Abhishek Sharma for the series with Shubman Gill rested after featuring in the recently concluded two-match Test rubber against the visitors. However, Gaikwad was not named in India’s squad.
Gaikwad was reportedly left out from the T20I squad as he was named the captain of the Rest of India for their Irani Cup clash against Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai which is currently underway at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. Gaikwad is in Team India’s plans for Tests and can soon make his debut in the longest format.
As per a report in the Times of India, the Indian team management is looking to prepare Gaikwad for the highly-anticipated Border Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia later this year. India will travel to Australia for a five-match Test series starting November 22. Gaikwad can be selected as the back-up opener to Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal for the series.
Gautam Gambhir wants Ruturaj Gaikwad in Tests
Head coach Gautam Gambhir wants Gaikwad to be prepared and ready to step up for the Indian team in Tests in case Rohit or Jaiswal suffer an injury and are not available. India’s long Test season started with their 2-0 win against Bangladesh in the recently concluded two-match series which will be followed by a three-match Test series against New Zealand and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
“The selectors and team management want him (Gaikwad) as the third opener in Australia,” a source was quoted as saying by Times of India.
Gaikwad has already made his ODI and T20I debut for India and has done well in white-ball cricket. However, he is yet to make his Test debut for the national team. With a long season ahead for India, Gaikwad might get a chance to prove his worth in the longest format soon.
One of the most technically gifted batters in Indian cricket at present, Gaikwad has toiled hard in domestic cricket to rise through the ranks. He has 2273 runs in 32 first-class matches at an average of over 42, including six centuries and 12 fifties. Gaikwad, who leads Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), has also been a consistent performer for the franchise over the last few years.
Gaikwad was also in good form in the recently concluded Duleep Trophy 2024 where he scored 232 runs in 3 matches to finish as the 4th highest run-getter in the tournament. The Maharashtra batter will be hoping to continue his purple patch in the Irani Cup against Mumbai and notch up a bog knock in the game.
Ruturaj Gaikwad is reportedly not too far away from making his Test debut for India as head coach Gautam Gambhir has grand plans for the opening batter. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
