Should India try Ruturaj Gaikwad in the middle order?

The depth of Indian cricket is amazingly enormous. The number of options for each slot is aplenty, and players must perform almost every time to remain in contention for a long time. Even after performing, the batters might have to play out of position, even if that doesn’t suit them.

The third T20I between Zimbabwe and India was a classic example of gauging the depth of Indian cricket. As many as five top-order batters played in the XI, spread from No.1 to 5 in the batting order. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill opened, Abhishek Sharma at No.3, Ruturaj Gaikwad after him, and Sanju Samson took the No.5 spot.

It’s never ideal to slot more than one batter in the incorrect position; India slotted three. It was when they had proper middle-order players in Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel to experiment with. Unfortunately, the focus has been on winning matches rather than looking at the bigger picture - finding ideal T20 batters to play in the main XI.

But India might have a serendipitous encounter in this self-created mess in the form of Ruturaj Gaikwad. Gaikwad is a top-order batter who has opened in 91.79% of innings in his T20 career, including domestic cricket and IPL. He has scored 4425 runs at an average of 40.97, with 29 fifties and six centuries while opening.

Although these numbers are sparkling, his method hasn’t really suited the Indian team. Usually, Gaikwad takes ample balls before going berserk, as his strike rate of 114.72 in the first 20 deliveries in T20Is since 2023 shows, and he hasn’t shown any positive signs of changing this method. In Shubman Gill, India already have a similar batter who tends to settle in before exploding, even in the T20 format.

Also Read: Can India afford Ruturaj Gaikwad to open in T20Is?

That leaves no place for Ruturaj Gaikwad at the top. But he is too bright a talent to stay on the bench. The temptation to have him in the scheme of things is understandable.

Is there another position where Ruturaj Gaikwad can flourish?

The third T20I in Harare showed an alternate way to use him differently and, arguably, more effectively. Batting at No.4, Gaikwad amassed 49 runs in 28 deliveries, comprising four boundaries and three maximums, at a blooming 175 strike rate. Unlike opening, he didn’t take additional deliveries to unfurl his shots and went after bowlers straightaway; he had no other option.

This knock indicated Gaikwad’s productive usage in the middle order, where he doesn’t have time to waste a few deliveries. He always had those shots and unleashed them once he settled in as an opener. His century against Australia last year was the acceleration of the highest order, possible only because of his vast range.

Further, Gaikwad is a terrific player of spin, a vital aspect to succeed in the middle order. Since 2023, he has 198 runs at a strike rate of 160.97 vs spin in T20Is. He also hits a boundary every 4.73 deliveries and has been dismissed only once in nine innings.

Ruturaj's run-accumulating expertise in the middle overs is another aspect of his batting. He averages 80 and strikes at 152.86, playing only 17.83% of dot balls in this phase since 2023. And he continues it in slog overs, where his strike rate surges to a whopping 274.41, taking only 2.26 balls for every boundary.

These numbers depict Gaikwad has the game to find ropes when the field is spread, making him a valuable middle-order asset. Take his 77(47) in the 2nd T20I against Zimbabwe for instance. In his first 20 deliveries, Gaikwad could only score 17 runs with two boundaries. Then, in the following 27 balls, he belted 60 runs with nine fours and a maximum to end with a big score. But if Gaikwad doesn’t get to face those first 20 balls, he has no other option but to attack. That happened in the following game.

In the Maharashtra Premier League 2024, Gaikwad demoted himself in the batting order and batted at various positions in the middle. He also found reasonable success, scoring 313 runs at the second-best average (52.16) and a 164.73 strike rate in eight outings. It included two fifties.

Also Read: Abhishek Sharma — not just another part-time spinner

While the quality might be slightly inferior, Gaikwad showed his game to succeed at a non-favourable position. He also gained ample experience batting in the middle order in this tournament, suggesting he is open to doing an unwanted job for the team. Being in the position to play the dual role is admirable in itself, showing the quality of the player.

And Ruturaj Gaikwad won’t be the first to nail an alien role for India. KL Rahul, who is also an opener naturally and reaped ample success in this position, transformed himself into a middle-order batter in ODIs and Tests. His experiment was an instant success.

As a middle-order bat, Rahul sealed his spot in the side and played a pivotal role in India’s success across longer formats. He had those salient skills to succeed anywhere, and the team used him precisely. Gaikwad can replicate the same in T20Is, if not in other formats.

Sure, India have plenty of specialists for the middle-order role, but they might need to gain skills like Gaikwad. His expertise against spin is enough to give him a longer rope at No.4 or 5 in the shortest format. With Gautam Gambhir at the helm, the possibilities of that happening are increasingly high.

As visible during his IPL stints, Gambhir tries fitting batters out of position to extract something additional from themselves. While most of his shots were faulty, he at least tried to use his best possible options, even if that came at the expense of inappropriate batting lineups. His job will be easier in the Indian setup since all specialists are available for each slot.

Gaikwad in the middle order might be a punt worth at this stage. It’s at least better than making him warm the bench. That would also block a spot for someone more deserving and suited for the opening slot.

Even if the move doesn’t work, the team management can always revert to specialists and look past him. They can also ask him to work on his strike rate during the initial phase of the innings and get him back as an opener again. Eventually, it’s a win-win scenario for the team and Ruturaj Gaikwad.

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