Ruturaj Gaikwad, who recently scored a century against South Africa, was surprisingly left out of India’s ODI squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand, raising eyebrows across the cricketing community. Former India and Chennai Super Kings batter Subramaniam Badrinath expressed his frustration over the selection, questioning why Nitish Kumar Reddy, a player struggling for form, was included instead.
“Along with the two all-rounders, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy is in the squad. I have no idea why he’s there. They say he’s an all-rounder, but he’s being smashed with the ball everywhere. Ruturaj Gaikwad has been hard done by,” Badrinath said in a YouTube video.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) clarified that Hardik Pandya wasn’t selected because he hasn’t received medical clearance to bowl a full quota of 10 overs. Nitish, a pace-bowling all-rounder, has played just two ODIs, scoring 27 runs and yet to claim a wicket, making his selection puzzling to many.
Badrinath highlighted Ruturaj’s consistent performance in domestic and List-A cricket. “They sent him at No. 4 against South Africa because there wasn’t a spot at the top, and he responded with a hundred. He’s scoring freely in List-A cricket, with two centuries and a half-century in six innings and an average above 57 with 5,000 runs. No one has such a record,” he added.
Fans and cricket experts are now debating the logic behind Ruturaj’s omission, especially given his recent form and consistent performances. While other selections were largely as expected, the decision to pick Nitish over Ruturaj has sparked questions about consistency in India’s team selection.
As India gears up for the New Zealand series, all eyes will be on the selectors and whether Ruturaj’s domestic dominance will eventually translate into a regular spot in the ODI team.
