Ruturaj Gaikwad has been getting shouts from people to be included in the India cricket team’s squad for the ICC Champions Trophy. Undoubtedly, he’s one of the best List A batters in the history of the sport. Only four players have a better average in the format than Gaikwad. But that isn’t the reason why he was getting the shouts.
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s forgettable time in Vijay Hazare Trophy
The reason was because Shubman Gill, one of his competitors, had failed in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and people felt he should be replaced because of his shortcomings in another format. Those who shouted for Gill to get dropped aren’t so loud now. Why? Because Gaikwad dropped a rare series of poor performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25.
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s ODI and List A stats
| Innings | Runs | Average | 100s | 50s | Highest Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODIs | 6 | 115 | 19.16 | 0 | 1 | 71 |
| List A | 83 | 4324 | 56.15 | 16 | 17 | 220* |
Captaining Maharashtra, Gaikwad started things well. He’d earned praise for his 148-run knock from just 74 balls against Services. However, since he’s struggled. In the two biggest matches, the quarterfinal and semifinal, Gaikwad has combined scored 12 runs. Barring that knock, the opener has scored just 46 runs in 6 innings.
Tough competition in Team India ft. Yashasvi Jaiswal
It’s virtually confirmed that Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma will open the innings. As far as the backup opener is concerned, after Gaikwad’s recent performance, there is no doubt that Yashasvi Jaiswal will be going as the backup opener. The issue is that even he might not find a spot in the main XI.
Jaiswal failed to get a game in the last ICC event he played, the T20 World Cup 2024. He was in the squad then, but with uncertainty over Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Kuldeep Yadav’s fitness, Team India might heavy load on bowlers and risk taking one fewer batter.
Why Samson or Tilak Varma might get picked over Gaikwad
But let’s say even if Jaiswal is in the squad and Team India is looking to take one more batter, why would they take Gaikwad in the current form he is in? Wouldn’t they take someone like Tilak Varma or Sanju Samson, who are in form and have done splendidly in international cricket in the last couple of months? Meanwhile, Gaikwad hasn’t played since July last year, and his last ODI came in December 2023.
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s recent form
| Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s | Highest Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy | 5 | 123 | 30.75 | 180.88 | 0 | 1 | 87 |
| Vijay Hazare Trophy | 7 | 194 | 32.33 | 132.87 | 1 | 0 | 148* |
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