3 major reasons why India should pick Ruturaj Gaikwad in ODI squad
(Courtesy : X)
Ruturaj Gaikwad is leading India A in the Tri-Nation A Series in Sri Lanka 2026.
India are set to clash with Afghanistan in an ODI series. The three-match series will commence on June 13 with the 1st ODI at HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. The next two encounters will be played on June 14 and 17, respectively.
Shubman Gill will lead India in the ODI series. The Men in Blue will be short of Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya in the series; both have been ruled out due to injuries. A few new faces have been picked in the squad, while some players have also been overlooked. Ruturaj Gaikwad is one such player.
The right-handed batsman has played 9 ODI matches for India so far, but has been overlooked for the ODI team in recent times. He also has a fabulous record in List A Cricket and impressed with his performance; however, he last played an ODI against South Africa in October 2022.
In this listicle, let’s look at the three reasons why Ruturaj Gaikwad should be picked in India’s ODI squad.
Why Ruturaj Gaikwad deserves a place in India’s ODI squad?
3. Impeccable record in List A Cricket
Gaikwad has an impressive record in the 50-over format in domestic cricket. He is the captain of Maharashtra and is in fabulous form in List A Cricket.
He has featured in 100 matches for the team. In 96 innings, he has scored 5161 runs at an average of 59.32. At an impressive strike rate of 101.89, he has also hammered 21 centuries and 19 half-centuries in the tournament, including a highest score of unbeaten 220 runs.
He made his debut in 2017 and has been a consistent performer over the last nine years. Due to such a spectacular record in the 50-over format in domestic cricket, Gaikwad definitely deserves a place in the ODIs.
2. India need a dependable middle-order batter
Currently, India have a strong top order in ODIs with the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shubman Gill. However, they need more depth in the middle-order. Their middle-order issues were highly visible in the ODI series against New Zealand earlier this year.
The Men-in-Blue lost the three-match series 2-1, suffering a humiliating defeat in an ODI series after a long time.
If Gaikwad is included in the ODI squad, he will strengthen the middle order and add depth. Moreover, he has scored a fifty and a century in ODIs in just nine matches, proving he could succeed if given more opportunities.
1. Good performance in Tri-Nation A Series
Although Ruturaj Gaikwad has been overlooked for ODIs, he has shown a brilliant performance in the junior team. He is the vice-captain of India A in the Tri-Nation A Series in Sri Lanka. He rocked with the bat in the first ODI, smacking a century. He scored 101 runs off 114 deliveries, with the help of six fours and three sixes.
With his heroics, India won the clash by eight runs in a close-fought game, dismissing Sri Lanka A for 269 runs. Gaikwad was awarded Player of the Match. With his impressive show for India A, Gaikwad has justified his selection for the ODI team.
How many runs did Ruturaj Gaikwad score for India A in the 1st ODI vs Sri Lanka A?
Gaikwad scored a century in the encounter.
How many games has Ruturaj Gaikwad played in ODI cricket?
He has played nine ODI games so far.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.