Ruturaj Gaikwad had scored his maiden ODI ton against South Africa recently.
In the forthcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand, India should have chosen Ruturaj Gaikwad over Rishabh Pant, according to former Indian cricketer R Ashwin. Pant is better suited to bat in the top order than the middle order, as Ashwin noted.
In the second ODI in Raipur, Ruturaj Gaikwad produced an incredible century against South Africa. He was a rotating striker, much like Kohli, and was able to bat spin and pace fairly successfully through his knock.
“Could Gaikwad have been kept in the squad? I think that was a real possibility. The only spot of contention is between Pant and Gaikwad. It was a straightforward decision. Shreyas Iyer deserved to come back after the injury, so no discussion there. It is his rightful position. The debate is over who goes out. Between a second wicketkeeper and a batter, you can get a keeper from anywhere to cover,” he said on ‘Ash ki Baat.’
“Who will keep track of Ruturaj Gaikwad’s mindset now? At four or five, I am sticking my neck out; his batting against spin and ability to run between wickets and close out an innings is phenomenal. I personally don’t think Pant can bat in the middle order in white-ball cricket at the moment. I think he is a top-three batter,” he added.
Ashwin further added that Ruturaj Gaikwad will get a long run only when Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma bid goodbye to the game. He also added that when Virat came into the Indian team, there weren’t many hugely talented players knocking on the Indian team’s door.
“Ruturaj will get a long rope only when Rohit and Kohli decide to hang up their boots. Till then, getting a long run for him is going to be hard.
When Kohli came into the team, there were not as many players knocking on the door with immense talent, and Kohli’s talent was shining through. I remember when we were playing CSK vs RCB in Durban, he stepped out and hit Muralitharan for a six. He made everyone take notice. Those are the things that stood out. The competition for places now is absolutely brutal,” Ashwin added.
The three-match ODI series between India and New Zealand will begin on January 11.