Ruturaj Gaikwad being looked at as third opener for BGT 2024-25 - Reports

Ruturaj Gaikwad is yet to make his test debut for India.

Ruturaj Gaikwad is likely to be India’s backup opener in the test squad for the tour of Australia later this year, according to reports.

Starting November 22, Australia will host India in a five-match test series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. This is the first time since 1991/92 that these two teams will compete in a five-match test series.

India are the current holders of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and have won the last four test series against Australia, including twice on Australian soil. India will hope to make a hat-trick in the upcoming series.

Since Shubman Gill has cemented his place at No. 3 and KL Rahul has done well in the middle-order, India may look at Gaikwad as the third opener for the test team.

India didn’t pick a backup or third opener for the test series against Bangladesh, but may do it for the following series against New Zealand, and they would definitely need backups for the Australia tour.

Ruturaj Gaikwad’s name has popped up to be the third opener for the New Zealand series and for the Australia tour.

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain wasn’t selected for the T20I series against Bangladesh, which starts on October 6. There was criticism of the selectors for Gaikwad’s non-selection for the T20Is.

Ruturaj Gaikwad in line to be the backup opener for Rohit and Jaiswal on Australia tour

However, now a source has revealed to Times Of India that the selectors want Ruturaj Gaikwad to play the Irani Cup, where he will be leading the Rest Of India team against Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai, with the upcoming test matches in mind.

“There has been a lot of hue and cry after Gaikwad wasn’t picked for the T20Is against Bangladesh despite regular T20I openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill being rested. The selectors and team management want him as the third opener in Australia. You need a third opener there as injuries could take place during a long five-Test series. There aren’t too many good candidates for the third openers’ slot than Gaikwad. He needs to keep playing red-ball matches. This is why he has been asked to lead ROI in the Irani Cup,” a source told TOI.

In 33 First Class (FC) matches, Gaikwad has scored 2273 runs at an average of 42 with six centuries and 12 fifties.

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