As India’s T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav addressed several pressing topics during a pre-match press conference ahead of the first T20I against South Africa on Thursday. Among the questions posed, one revolved around the omission of Ruturaj Gaikwad from India’s T20I squad. Gaikwad, known for his impressive performances across formats in domestic cricket, has been one of the standout players over the past year. Whether in red-ball or white-ball formats, his consistent displays have garnered widespread praise. Despite this, his opportunities at the national level remain limited.
Responding to the query about Gaikwad’s absence, Suryakumar acknowledged the young batter’s talent and achievements. He emphasized the importance of the team management’s structured selection process, which aims to fairly distribute opportunities among many deserving players.
“Rutu is a superb player who has continuously performed well in all formats. However, there are several players who have been performing well even before him. The team management has a routine or process in place, and it’s crucial to respect and adhere to that,” Suryakumar said. Expressing confidence in Gaikwad’s future, he added, “He is young and doing exceptionally well. Uska bhi time aayega, uska bhi number aayega, I believe (his time will come).
Gaikwad’s recent outings have been noteworthy. In the T20I series against Zimbabwe earlier this year, he amassed 133 runs at an impressive average of 66.50 and a strike rate of 158.33. As captain of the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL and leader of India C in the Duleep Trophy, Gaikwad has demonstrated his leadership qualities. He also captained the Rest of India team in the Irani Cup and is currently leading the India A team in an unofficial Test series in Australia.
While Gaikwad is undoubtedly a crucial figure in Indian domestic cricket, his absence from the national T20I setup suggests there might still be certain benchmarks he needs to meet to secure a regular spot at the highest level.
