With his last ODI game coming back in 2023, Ruturaj Gaikwad made into the Indian team for the recent Proteas series after a series of consistent displays in domestic cricket and for India A. Another reason for the right-hander getting an opportunity was the absence of ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, who was forced to the sidelines due to the spleen injury that he incurred during the Australia tour leading to a vacancy in the No.4 slot.
Nevertheless, Gaikwad capitalised on the opportunity, hitting a century in the three-match series and proving his mettle with the bat. Despite his heroics, he faced the axe for the upcoming IND vs NZ ODIs as Shreyas Iyer made a return to the side.
Following the snub, former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin put out a motivating message for the youngster to keep his morale up and show support.
Ashwin wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “No matter how you feel. Get up, dress up, pad up, show up and never give up. It can be hard to miss but such is the competition for places in the Indian team.”
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The dynamic batter has been in tremendous form, which begs the question for a strong reason for his snub. He was in impressive form during the IND A vs SA A ODI series, finishing as the top scorer with 210 runs in three games, including a century and a fifty.
In the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT 2025-26) too, Gaikwad is looking in sublime form with 204 runs in five games at an impressive average of 64.25 and has already hit one ton and one fifty. In the process, he also registered the best average in List A cricket by Indians with 57.69, going past Indian batting stalwart Virat Kohli.
Not just in white-ball cricket, Ruturaj Gaikwad has dominated this year across formats. During the Duleep Trophy 2025, he hit a 184 and then followed it up with two fifties and a century in his four innings in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 so far.
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