Former India opener Sadagoppan Ramesh has raised concerns over Ruturaj Gaikwad’s omission from India’s ODI squad for the New Zealand series scheduled in January 2026. Ramesh opined that the selectors could have accommodated the in-form opener instead of opting for Nitish Kumar Reddy as an additional seam-bowling option.
Gaikwad, 28, emerged as one of the biggest absentees from the three-match ODI series starting January 11. The right-handed batter impressed in the recent ODI series against South Africa, scoring a century in the second game while batting at No.4 in place of Shreyas Iyer. However, Iyer’s return to the squad resulted in the Pune-born batter missing out.
In a video shared on his official Instagram handle, the 50-year-old Ramesh suggested that Gaikwad deserved a place in the squad, while also questioning the clarity of Reddy’s role in the team setup.
“He could’ve been selected in the squad in place of someone like Nitish Kumar Reddy. Why is a fifth seam-bowling option required? Whether or not Reddy will bat or bowl is unclear. When it’s not even clear whether he will feature in the eleven, someone like Gaikwad should’ve been there in the squad.”
Ramesh asserted that the opener deserved a place in the squad regardless of Shreyas Iyer’s availability for all three matches.
“India doesn’t need a fifth seam-bowling option in the original squad for a home series. Even if there is an injury in the squad, someone can be called up soon as it is a home series. What they may have thought is if Shreyas Iyer doesn’t clear the fitness test, Ruturaj Gaikwad can slot into the playing eleven. Even if Iyer is fit and plays all three matches, I feel Gaikwad was a must in the squad.”
“Gaikwad deserved the same backing as Jaiswal” – Sadagoppan Ramesh
Sadagoppan Ramesh highlighted that Yashasvi Jaiswal kept his place in the squad even after Shubman Gill’s return, adding that Ruturaj Gaikwad also deserved similar backing. He explained:
“A friend called me discussed how well Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel are performing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy but failed to make it to the Indian squad. But Ruturaj Gaikwad has missed out despite sensational performances for India. Bad luck for that guy. He should have at least been in the squad, given he scored a ton in the previous series. The way selectors rewarded Yashasvi Jaiswal, Gaikwad should have been too.”
“Okay, he scored a hundred by batting out of position and the selectors asked him to vacate the spot since the original candidate returned. Now if he goes out of form in domestic cricket and the selectors use that to keep him out of the side, it doesn’t seem justified.”
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