Former England spinner Graeme Swann said that he is excited to watch Ruturaj Gaikwad bat against a quality attack, who has been named in the Indian squad for the upcoming 3-match T20I series against New Zealand.
Gaikwad has been a consistent performer for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the past few seasons, and in the IPL 2021, he finished as the highest run-scorer with 635 runs, earning the Orange Cap.
The 24-year-old batter made his India debut against Sri Lanka in July 2021 and now he is expected to be seen in action in the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand, starting on Wednesday (November 17) in Jaipur, and Swann can’t wait to see him again in India jersey.
Swann said on Cricket.com: “He (Ruturaj Gaikwad) has been absolutely incredible for CSK and he's played some of the best knocks I’ve seen in the IPL. That 100 he scores in Abu Dhabi was just sensational. I’m glad that Gaikwad is in.”
He further added, “Michael Hussey told me a couple of years ago 'this guy is an absolute gun'. Just look out for him. This was before he had done anything magical. He is 9 out of 10, a work in progress, but a seriously good player.”
Meanwhile, the Englishman also said that Shreyas Iyer is another wonderful player to watch out for, and the 26-year-old batter has a great opportunity to prove himself against New Zealand, as he is all set to play for Team India for the first time since March 2021.
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Swann said. “Shreyas Iyer is a glorious man to watch bat. But he has had his ups and downs. He has had some incredible performances and then some weaker ones.”
He signed off by saying, “He is 9 out of 10 for me but could well easily be a 10. He can get there one day. I love the fact that Gaikwad and Iyer can be in that top 4.”
(Cricket.com inputs)
