This would be a great opportunity for the dynamic batter to showcase his mettle and find his place back in the national team.
An out-of-favour India batter has been named the new Maharashtra cricket team captain for the upcoming Ranji Trophy season. He will add a lot of impetus, having previously led in IPL and also the Indian team. Maharashtra has won the Ranji Trophy only twice and will hope for better fortunes to usher under a new captain.
Thus, after being snubbed from the national team, this would be a great opportunity for the dynamic right-hander to showcase his mettle and find his place back.
Ruturaj Gaikwad recently missed out on finding a spot in either the T20I or the ODI squad for the upcoming white-ball series against neighbours Sri Lanka.
The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper was in a way unlucky to face the axe since he looked in good form in the recently-concluded tour of Zimbabwe.
ALSO READ: Mumbai Indians star ruled out of Test series with a side strain
Although Gaikwad did not bat in his preferred opening position during the Zimbabwe tour, he adapted well to batting at No. 3 and No. 4. He consistently scored runs and maintained an impressive strike rate of 158.33, including a 47-ball 77* and a 28-ball 49.
Not only that, in his last seven T20I innings, Gaikwad has averaged over 71 with a strike rate approaching 160.
Justifying the exclusion, selection committee chief Ajit Agarkar had said, “Every player who’s left out feels hard done by. Our challenge is to pick only 15. You try and get the best balance possible. So, someone’s likely to miss out. Sometimes, they have had decent performances in recent times but you’ve got to see who is picked ahead of them. Are those guys not deserving of their place? If that’s the case, then there are things to discuss.”
India’s tour of Sri Lanka kicks off with a three-match T20I series starting on July 27, followed by a three-match ODI series next month.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram and YouTube.
