R Ashwin feels Ruturaj Gaikwad’s snub is neither the player, nor the selector’s fault.© AFP
As opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad‘s omission from India’s white-ball squads continues to baffle fans, veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has revealed the reason behind his absence. Gaikwad last played for India in a T20I against Zimbabwe in July 2024, while his last ODI appearance came back against Australia in December 2023 after the 50-over World Cup. Despite scoring consistently in the domestic circuit, Gaikwad struggles to break into India’s primary playing XI. He was ignored by the selectors for India’s white-ball games against England, as well as the upcoming Champions Trophy.
Ashwin, however, suggested Gaikwad’s snub is neither the player, nor the selector’s fault. Ashwin pointed out that there are too many contenders as far as India’s top-order is concerned, and that Gaikwad is down in the pecking order.
“India’s top order is packed. Up top, we have a lot of contenders. Ruturaj, Yashasvi, Shubman Gill… they are either playing one-day cricket or aren’t in the scheme of things. In his last T20I, Gaikwad scored a 100, took Maxwell to the cleaners. But he hasn’t gotten an opportunity since. It’s because there are so many people competing for two spots,” Ashwin said on his hindi YouTube channel.
Ashwin also highlight how Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma‘s T20I exploits isn’t helping Gaikwad’s case in the shortest format.
“Sanju Samson has taken one out of those two places. He scored two centuries. And came out of the syllabus. A No. 3 batter opened, scored runs and booked his slot. For the other one, pressure was mounting on Abhishek Sharma. He knew that players were gunning for that slot, including Gaikwad. The way he played under pressure. He got a message from the team management that you have the freedom to go and play carefree,” he added.
Abhishek starred with the bat as India blew England away in the 1st T20I in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Topics mentioned in this article
