In a notable yet unfortunate turn of events in the world of cricket, Ruturaj Gaikwad, the promising Indian batsman, experienced a rare occurrence in T20 International cricket on Thursday, November 23. Gaikwad became only the third Indian batter to be dismissed for a diamond duck in T20Is during the first T20I match against Australia in Visakhapatnam. A diamond duck refers to a batsman getting out without having faced a single ball, a rarity in the fast-paced T20 format.
The incident unfolded in the opening over of India's innings while chasing a target set by Australia. Gaikwad, caught in a mix-up with fellow batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal, fell victim to a miscommunication that led to an unsuccessful attempt at a second run. This early setback occurred with India's score at just 11 runs in 0.5 overs, marking a disappointing start for the team.
With this unfortunate dismissal, Gaikwad joins the likes of Amit Mishra and Jasprit Bumrah in the list of Indian players who have suffered a diamond duck in T20Is. Bumrah had his diamond duck against Sri Lanka in February 2016 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. Following him, Mishra experienced the same fate against England in January 2017 at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. In total, 21 Indian players have been dismissed for diamond ducks across formats, a statistic that underscores the rarity of such an event.
This list of players includes notable names such as Bishan Singh Bedi, Roger Binny, Anshuman Gaekwad, Chetan Sharma, Venkatpathy Raju, Javagal Srinath, Abey Kuruvilla, Rajesh Chauhan, Navjot Singh Sidhu, MSK Prasad, Harbhajan Singh, Rahul Dravid, Sreesanth, Zaheer Khan, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Umesh Yadav. Each of these players has contributed significantly to Indian cricket in their respective eras, and their inclusion in this list highlights the unpredictable nature of the game.
Looking ahead, Ruturaj Gaikwad will be aiming to bounce back in the upcoming second T20I. As India continues to experiment with its team composition in preparation for the T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in the West Indies and the USA, Gaikwad's role and performance will be closely watched. His ability to recover from setbacks and contribute to the team's success will be crucial in determining India's ideal team combination for the global tournament. The upcoming games provide Gaikwad with an opportunity to prove his mettle and solidify his place in the team.
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