India‘s T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav, expressed confidence that Ruturaj Gaikwad will have ample opportunities to showcase his talent on the international stage. Commenting on Gaikwad’s omission from the T20I series against South Africa, Suryakumar highlighted that other players have been performing well and that the management is adhering to an established selection process.
Gaikwad was part of India’s T20I squad for the Zimbabwe series in July, where he impressed with scores of 77* and 49 in two of the matches. However, he has not featured in the team since then. Ahead of the first India-South Africa T20I in Durban on November 8, Suryakumar praised Gaikwad’s abilities while supporting the decision to leave him out of the South Africa series.
“Rutu (Ruturaj) is a fantastic player. He has been performing consistently across all formats, wherever he plays. There are a lot of players who have been performing well even before him, so there is a routine or process that I think that the management has come up with, so it is important to follow that,” the Indian captain commented.
“He is young and is doing well. I feel, uska bhi number aayega. Uska bhi time aayega. (His time will also come),” Suryakumar asserted.
Ruturaj Gaikwad is currently playing for India A in their series against Australia. As captain, he was out for scores of 0 and 5 in the first unofficial Test at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay, where Australia A won by seven wickets.
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The second unofficial Test began on November 7, and Gaikwad was dismissed for just 4, caught by Michael Neser. After winning the toss and choosing to bowl, India A were all out for 161 in 57.1 overs, despite an 80-run knock from Dhruv Jurel.
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s International Cricket Stats So Far
Since making his debut in July 2021, Gaikwad has played 23 T20Is, amassing 633 runs at an average of 39.56 and a strike rate of 143.53, with one century and four half-centuries.
The 27-year-old has also appeared in six ODIs, scoring 115 runs at an average of 19.16. His sole fifty in the format came against Australia in Mohali in September 2023, when he made 71 off 77 balls.
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